AFI prunes down Athletics team for Commonwealth Games

Athletics Federation of India has decided to prune down India's athletics team for the CWG from 41 to 32.

Sprinter Dutee Chand (L), who reportedly has been under a gender test scanner, was left out at the last minute. (Source: IE File Photo)

Athletics Federation of India Tuesday pruned down the number of track and field participants in the upcoming Commonwealth Games from the original 41 to 32, leaving out young sprinter Dutee Chand, who reportedly has been under a gender test scanner, at the last minute.

Controversial triple jumper Renjith Maheswary and the six-member men’s 4x100m relay team also got the axe on the ground of unsatisfactory performance.

18-year-old Dutee Chand has reportedly been under the scanner with the Sports Authority of India having ordered a gender test on her.

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SAI Director General Jiji Thomson confirmed that a woman athlete underwent a gender test in Bangalore but refused to name her.

“A gender test was conducted on a woman athlete in Bangalore. If she is there in the list of CWG participants, her name will have to be deleted from the list,” Thomson told PTI.

Dutee Chand was dropped at the last minute as her name was there in the list of CWG participants given earlier to some top AFI officials, including Secretary C K Valson.

Valson confirmed that Dutee Chand was in the list of participants, but within hours AFI released a list of 32 athletes leaving her out.

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“We have 33 Indian athletes taking part in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Renjith Maheswary is not there in the team and we have also pulled out the six-member men’s 4x100m relay team due to injury and also due to performance related issues,” Valson told PTI.

Asked if Dutee Chand’s name was there in the list, he said, “Yes, Dutee Chand is in the list.”

He, however, did not give any details about the reported gender test conducted on Dutee Chand.

“I am not in a position to say anything on that issue. I have no idea on that,” he said.

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Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had already released the names of 224 Indian athletes to take part in the July 23-August 3 Glasgow Games, but with the reduction of members in the athletics team, the total number of participants will now be 215.

Interestingly, 2010 Delhi CWG women’s discus throw silver medallist Harwant Kaur’s name was included in the list of
Indian participants cleared by Sports Ministry and released by the IOA. 34-year-old Harwant has not taken part in any event for the last two years, her last participation being in the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in June 2012.

Her name though is not in the final list of 32.

Valson was not forthcoming when asked how Harwant Kaur’s name was there in the list.

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“We sent a provisional list to IOA long time back, may be four or five months back and Harwant’s name might have been there. But, her name is not there in the final list,” said Valson, without answering on whether the AFI had committed a goof-up on this issue also by naming her in the provisional list.

Eighteen out of these 32 athletes left for Glasgow Monday.

The 32-member athletics team for 2014 Glasgow CWG.

Men:

4x400m Relay: Rajiv Arokia, Kunhu Mohammed, Sachin Roby, Lalit Mathur, Jithu Baby, Jibin Sebastian.
110m Hurdle: Siddhanth Thingalaya
Triple Jump: Arpinder Singh
Shot Put: Om Prakash Karhana
Discus Throw: Vikas Gowda
Javelin Throw: Ravinder Singh Khaira, Devinder Singh, Vipin Kasana.
Hammer Throw: Kamalpreet Singh, Chandrodaya Narayan Singh

Women:
4x100m Relay: Saradha Narayan, H M Jyothi, Sarbani Nanda, Asha Roy, Santhini Vallikkad, Merlin K Joseph.
4x400m Relay: M R Poovamma, Tintu Luka, Debashree Majumdar, Ratandeep Kaur, Anilda Thomas, Ashwini Akkunji.
High Jump: Sahana Kumari
Long Jump: Mayookha Johny
Discus Throw: Seema Punia, Krishna Poonia
Javelin Throw: Annu Rani.