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The Ludhiana leg of the Indian Athletics Series scheduled for June 13 in Punjab will act as a Glasgow Commonwealth Games qualification platform, Chairman of the AFI (Athletics Federation of India) Selection Committee, Adille Sumariwalla, has said.
Sumariwalla said the AFI is giving athletes another opportunity to meet Commonwealth Games qualification standards in their events. He added that this decision was made because several athletes narrowly missed the required qualification marks at the recently concluded 29th National Senior Athletics Championships held in Ranchi. "The AFI is giving eligible athletes another chance to achieve CWG qualification standards in their respective events. This is because several athletes narrowly missed the AFI qualification criteria at the just-concluded 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition held at Ranchi," said Sumariwalla, according to AFI press release. Sumariwalla said that after the Ranchi competition, athletes reported they could not perform at their best due to unfavourable weather conditions, especially on the final day. Following this, the Athletics Federation of India selection committee decided to unanimously provide another opportunity for athletes to achieve the required Commonwealth Games qualification standards. "After the conclusion of the Ranchi meet the athletes submitted that they were unable to deliver their best performances due to unfavorable local weather conditions particularly on the concluding day of the four-day competition. After due deliberation, the members of the AFI Selection Committee unanimously agreed to give another platform to athletes to achieve a qualification mark," he said. Performances of the athletes at the Indian Athletics Series in Ludhiana will be considered for selection only if they competed in the four-day domestic competition in Ranchi. Athletes who have already achieved CWG qualification norms based on their performance in Ranchi, according to Sumariwalla, will remain qualified. "However, if they wish to participate in Ludhiana, they can take part," said the AFI Chairman of the Selection Committee. The AFI guidelines for the selection of athletes for CWG, announced earlier by the AFI Chairman of the Selection Committee, will remain the same. "The opportunity will be given to athletes in events in which they were close to qualification marks in Ranchi," said Sumariwalla. (ANI)
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