Under-20 athletics: Venue for 32 events lacks world-class facilities
Athletes will be competing to be selected to participate in the 20th National Federation Cup Juniors Championship (June 2-4), a qualifying event for the World Athletics Championships slated for August 1-6 in Cali (Colombia)
Athletes in 32 events will have to compete on the grassy and muddy ground of the OEF Stadium in Kanpur at the 55th UP State Under-20 Athletics Championship scheduled to be held from Sunday (May 15) to Tuesday (May 17).
This is because the hosts Uttar Pradesh Athletics Association could not procure a stadium equipped with international facilities even when it is mandatory for such events by the Athletics Federation of India.
On the other hand, athletes in 10 other events, including five for women, would have access to modern facilities.
Players chosen on the basis of the three-day state championship at two different locations would be selected to participate in the 20th National Federation Cup Juniors Championship (June 2-4), a qualifying event for the World Athletics Championships slated for August 1-6 in Cali (Colombia).
Ten events, including 100 and 400 metre hurdles, 3000m steeplechase, high jump and pole vault, would take place at the Sports Complex of the Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad. The venue has a synthetic track and other facilities of international standards. Athletes in 32 other events would be trying their luck for a place in the UP team at the OEF Stadium, where cutting of grass and levelling the ground started only on Friday morning.
“It’s tough, but we don’t have any option as the UPAA has been denied to conduct events at all three facilities in Lucknow, including the one at the Sports Authority of India and another one at the Guru Gobind Singh Sports College,” UPAA secretary PK Srivastava said on Friday. He refused to accept that the sporting body was responsible for the situation.
“SAI allowed us to conduct only a few events even though we were ready to hold the hammer throw event with a broken cage. The Sports College authorities didn’t entertain our request to accommodate athletes within the campus, ”said Srivastava.
“We have been told that our athletes were not disciplined and created anarchy during the last meet there,” he added.
“As per the policy of the Athletics Federation of India, we don’t provide boarding and lodging facilities to athletes for a meet even though we charge ₹500 as entry fee for the event. A huge crowd of athletes is bound to gather at one spot during the meet,” he said.
“Yes, it’s mandatory to conduct the event at a stadium having a synthetic track but due to lack of availability we are bound to hold it on a grass track now,” he added.
SAI’s executive director Sanjay Saraswat said that UPAA was offered limited facilities to conduct the event on the campus, but they wanted stay and food facilities for athletes, which was not possible with so many national camps of other sports, including athletes of National Centre of Excellence, also going on here.
“The cage meant for the hammer throw has some problem, but we aren’t here to provide even a stopwatch etc. We could provide stay facilities to only limited people, but not to all as we have our own athletes training here,” said Saraswat.
Sports College’s acting principal SS Mishra, too, refused to accept that he denied permission to UPAA to hold the event on the campus.
“Over 500 athletes were roaming within the college campus and lying everywhere at night during the last championship here. If something had happened to any of them, we would have been held responsible,” Mishra said.
“UPAA should make boarding arrangements for the athletes before conducting an event. We just made these suggestions, which weren’t accepted by UPAA. They on their own decided not conduct the event here in Lucknow. In fact, the facilities are meant for athletics only. Everyone is welcome to hold events here, but in an adequate manner,’ said Mishra, who is also deputy director with the UP Sports Directorate.
Some of the athletes, too, criticized UPAA for its “failure” to hold all events at one stadium.
“Only yesterday we came to know about the quick change of venues for the state meet. Now we are struggling with our reservations for other locations in the last-minute,” said an athlete on condition of anonymity.
“How will I be able to attain the qualifying mark for participation in the National Championship when I am forced run on a grass track?” he asked.
