12 Kerala Athletes in Indian team for Asian School Track and Field Championships

7 August 2013
Cochin

Twelve Kerala athletes, including seven girls, have been selected to the Indian team for Asian School Track and Field Championships to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from September 17-24.

Even though 27 athletes from the state were called only 13 attended the selection trials held at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune on Monday and Tuesday. In all 46 athletes from across the country took part in the two-day trials and 31 were selected to the national squad. The selectors took into account the performance of athletes in the 58th National School Games at Etawah, UP in February. PU Chitra of HSS Mundur and Mohammed Afsal of HS Parli both in Palakkad were declared champion athletes of the Etawah meet and are in the Indian team for Kuala Lumpur meet .

School Games Federation of India (SGFI) in its directive to all participating states/units (in Kerala, the Directorate of Public Instruction) had insisted on a demand draft of Rs one lakh demand draft as a pre-requisite to attend the selection trials. The amount was out of bounds for most of these athletes and that was a major reason for the absence of other 14 athletes called up for the selection trials in Pune.

Kerala athletes were allowed to attend the trials after DPI A Shajahan prevailed upon the organisers to waive the DD for attending the trials but promised the SGFI of electronic transfer of funds soon after the selection trails got over.

Source– http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/12-Kerala-athletes-make-it-to-Indian-school-squad/articleshow/21664562.cms

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