Jordon-bound Indian squad for Asian cross championship announced

Pune, Feb 21 (UNI) A 19-member strong Indian team comprising six elite athletes from Maharashtra and Indian Railways each and four from the services was today for the Asian Cross Country Championship to be held at Amman in Jordon on March 10.

Announcing the list, Joint secretary of the Athletic Federation of India (AFI) Pralhad Sawant said the squad was finalised on the performance of the long distance runners of both men and women in the recently concluded National Cross Country Championship held at Vishakhapattnam on February 4.

The team will leave for Amman from New Delhi on March 5, he said.

Meantime, the AFI has shifted the venue of the 12th Federation Cup National Cross Country championships from Tumkar, Karnataka to Ramnagar also in Karnataka. Ther date of the meet, however, remains the same, that is Februray 25, Mr Sawant said.

Quoting a AFI circular of February 19, he said all the affiliated units of the apex body have been informed regarding the change in the venue.

The AFI is also in the process of finalising the list of coaches for 2007 to 2012. As per the circular, the coaches will be given the responsibility for imparting training to the athletes of different levels, starting from junior athletes to elite athletes including those athletes identified for the 2008 Olympic Games to be held in Beijing, China.

The affiliated units of the AFI to recommend the names of coaches who will be willing to stay in the coaching camps on long term basis, the circular stated. The names of coaches along with their details should reach the AFI office in New Delhi on or before February 28.

The Indian squad for the Asian Cross Country Championship to be held at Amman, Jordon is as follows: Men (12 Kms): Surinder Singh, Sunil Kumar, Sita Ram, Irappad Akki (all Services), Santosh Kumarand, S Raghunath (Both Indian Railways) Junior Men (8 Kms): Sandeep Nagde, PrigalGogai (Both Maharashtra), Arvind Kumar Yadav, Suresh Kumar (Both Uttar Pradesh), Women (8 Kms): Pampa Chanda, Preethi Rao, H Sangini Devi, Preeja Sreedharan (all Indian Railways), Madhuri Gurnule (Maharashtra).

Junior Women (6 Kms): Rohini Raut, Monika Raut, Swati Ghadve (all Maharashtra), Saloni Chowdhary (Uttar Pradesh).

UNI