Competitive
athletics
makes a return amidst the rising Covid-19 cases in the State when the 64th State Athletics Championships begins at Calicut University Stadium here on Monday. Of late the stadium has become the athletics hub of the state. The meet originally scheduled to be held in Thiruvananthapuram was shifted to Kozhikode.
The high rent claimed by the
Kerala University
authorities for the venue was an invitation for Kerala State Athletics Association(KSAA) to shift the event to the new president's home town.
The KSAA have combined the senior and junior categories together and it will be the young brigade who will be the centre of attraction.
The athletes are keen and eager though a few are worried about their fitness.
Anu Raghavan, the 2018
Jakarta Asian Games
medallist, international hurdler Maymon Poulose will be conspicuous by their absence and host of other senior athletes are also skipping the event.
In the absence of big stars the onus will be on the juniors who are the flag bearers of athletics in the state and the likes of Aparna Roy who set a new meet national record in Guwahati last week, and new national junior (under-20) 400m champion Abdul Razzack CR will be eager to better the performance to qualify got the World junior championship in Nairobi, Kenya.
The junior athletes are eyeing both
Khelo India
and the prestigious state school meets, if at all, it happens amidst the pandemic.
“The idea to compete here is that we hope that both state schools and the Khelo India will be held. My trainees are competition fit and we’re ready,” said Tommy Cherian, head coach of St Joseph’s Academy, Puloorampara.
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