The domestic athletics season will begin with the inaugural Indian Open Throws competition here on February 26 while the first National Javelin Day events will be held on August 7 in all the states to mark Neeraj Chopra's Olympic gold medal-winning feat. (More Sports News)
Star javelin thrower Chopra had clinched the country's first Olympic gold in athletics in Tok♋yo Games on August 7 last year and the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had earlier said that na🍎tional javelin day will be observed to mark the feat.
The Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championships will be held in Kozhikode from April 2-6, while the Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships and National Open Athletics Championships will be st♏aged in Chennai (June 10-14) and Jamshedpur (October 15🐻-19), respectively.
The 25-meet annual competiti🦹on caꦛlendar was announced by AFI on Saturday.
“We are keen to build on the attention that Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal in the Olympic Games has got for aౠthletics in India,” AFI Pre🧔sident Adille Sumariwalla said in a release.
“The annual calendar has been designed to give our athletes every chance to qualify and prepare for international🦋 events like the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.”
Sumariwalla said that the federation has decided to add a National Open Throws Competition in Delhi on February 26 and a National Open Jumps Competition in Thiruvanan💟thapuram on March 1.
“We will continue to organise the National Javelin Throw Competition and look forward to marking Neeraj’s Olympic gol🏅d with the National Javelin Day events in all States and Union Territories on August 7,” he said.
The AFI President said that slots had been earmarke🌌d for district meets (March 1 to 31), state meets (April 1 to May 25) and sportsꦉ board meets (August 1 to 30).
The domestic athletics season was to start with the National Cross Co🌳untry Championships on January 15 in Kohima and Indian Open Race Walking Championships in Ranchi on February 5 and 6 but both the meets had to be postponed after a surge in COVID-19 cases.
