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Gurbachan Randhawa ends role as AFI selection panel chief
The Indian athletics great resigned his long-term position as chairman of the AFI selection committee citing old age
Indian athletic great Gurbachan Singh Randhawa has resigned as chairman of the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) selection committee saying that his age makes it difficult to give “the job my 100 percent”.
“I think it is the right time for me to hand over the reins to a younger person at a time when Indian athletics is at a very exciting stage of its evolution,” the 84-year-old said in a media statement on Tuesday.
Randhawa, one of India’s biggest athletic stars, was the 1962 Asian Games decathlon champion. He took part in the Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964 Olympics, where he came fifth in 110m hurdles, a remarkable effort for an Indian athlete in an era that also saw many Indian athletics shine in the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
“I have been associated with AFI for 63 years as athlete, coach, government observer and chairman of selection committee. I look back at the six decades with great pride and humility that I was able to serve track and field sport in our country in various capacities,” he said.
“I’m truly delighted that we now have two World Athletics Championships medalists in Anju Bobby George and Neeraj Chopra. The cherry on the cake, of course, is Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic Games gold medal in Tokyo 2020. After a number of near misses, including that of my friend, the late Milkha Singh in 1960 and PT Usha in 1984, Neeraj made all our dreams come true.”
