Hima Das named in World Championships team as relay runner
New Delhi: World junior champion Hima Das was on Monday named as 4x400m relay runner in India's 25-member squad for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Doha from September 27.
The number of athletes announced after a meeting of AFI selection committee will, however, increase after the international body (IAAF) gives confirmation of the likes of World University 100m champion Dutee Chand, who did not meet the qualification mark but is within the required number of competitors for the event.
Hima could not qualify for her pet event 400m but she has been named to run in the women's 4x400m relay and the mixed 4x400m relay races. The AFI is even hoping that the mixed 4x400m relay team can come in the medal bracket or at least close to it.
The name of star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who is undergoing rehabilitation after an elbow surgery, was also discussed but was not named in the team.
"The selectors decided to discuss the case of javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who is undergoing rehabilitation programme after an elbow surgery at a later stage," a press release from the AFI said.
Sources in the AFI, however, said that Neeraj, who has qualified for the World Championships before his surgery, is more or less ruled out of the marquee event.
"Neeraj is unlikely to make it to Doha Worlds as he is undergoing rehabilitation. We think it is better for Neeraj to recover properly as we see him as a bright prospect for the Tokyo Olympics," the source told PTI.
"The selection committee also approved the names of sprinters Dutee Chand (100m women), Archana Suseentran (200m women) and high jumper Tejaswin Shankar subject to invitation from the IAAF.
"The committee also decided to conduct confirmatory trial for quarter miler Anjali Devi for selection in the team in individual women's 400m. The trial will be conducted on September 21st at the NIS Patiala," the AFI release added.
An AFI official said that Tejaswin will be asked to come to India and undergo a trial if he wants to take part in the World Championships.
"If the IAAF sends an invite for Tejaswin, we will ask him to at least jump 2.25m if not the World Championships qualification standard of 2.30m," the official said.
The personal best for Tejaswin is 2.29m, which is also the national record.
The selection committee meeting, chaired by Olympian Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, was attended by AFI President Adille Sumariwalla, chief coach Bahadur Singh, Bahadur Singh Saggu, Krishna Poonia, Praveen Jolly, Uday Prabhu, Paramjit Singh.
Former chief coach JS Saini and current deputy chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair were special invitees. The AFI said that the 4x400m relay teams will perform better than they did in the World Relays in Yokohama in May last.
"We have invested a lot of time in the 400m runners, getting them to train under renowned coach Galina Bukharina. We believe that the squad has been well prepared to deliver the best results on the world stage," AFI President Adille Sumariwalla said.
The team:
Men: Jabir MP (400m Hurdles), Jinson Johnson (1500m), Avinash Sable (3000m Steeplechase), KT Irfan and Devender Singh (20km Race Walk), Gopi T (Marathon), Sreeshankar M (Long Jump), Tajinder Pal Singh Toor (Shot Put), Shivpal Singh (Javelin Throw), Muhammed Anas, Nirmal Noah Tom, Alex Antony, Amoj Jacob, KS Jeevan, Dharun Ayyasamy and Harsh Kumar (4x400m Men's & Mixed Relay).
Women: PU Chitra (1500m), Annu Rani (Javelin Throw), Hima Das, Vismaya VK, Poovamma MR, Jisna Mathew, Revathi V, Subha Venkatsan, Vithya R (4x400m Women & Mixed Relay).
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Kejriwal's aide Bibhav files police complaint against Maliwal, alleges she hurled abuses at him
New Delhi, May 17: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar on Friday filed a police complaint against AAP MP Swati Maliwal, alleging she breached the security of the CM's residence to gain unauthorised entry on May 13 and created a ruckus there, the party said.
It also said that when Kumar tried to stop her she hurled abuses at him.
In his complaint filed via an e-mail to the Civil Lines Police Station SHO, Kumar said now she is trying to falsely implicate him by alleging that he assaulted her at the chief minister's residence when she had gone to meet Kejriwal.
Kumar has also sent a copy of his complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North).
In a statement, the AAP said Kumar has said in his complaint that Maliwal breached the security of the CM's residence, gained access forcibly and unauthorisedly, and created a ruckus there.
When Kumar tried to stop her, she hurled abuses at him with the intent to physically assault him, according to the complaint.
Kumar also said in the complaint that Maliwal is now trying to falsely implicate him so as to create undue pressure on him.
Maliwal has already filed an FIR against Kumar alleging that he assaulted her when she had gone to meet Kejriwal at his official residence on May 13.
Kumar in his complaint said Maliwal barged into Kejriwal's residence on May 13 by telling security personnel that she was a Rajya Sabha MP.
"Despite requests by security officers to wait until he gets the details of her appointment verified, she forcibly entered the CM's residence despite the objections," Kumar said in his complaint.
The complaint stated that she trespassed despite repeated objections by security personnel and CM office staff.
It was claimed in the complaint that at 9:22 am when Kumar entered the main building of the CM's residence, he found Maliwal sitting in the drawing room.
"Kumar approached Maliwal and politely requested her to follow the proper procedure for meeting the chief minister. To this, Maliwal started screaming and shouting at Kumar, and hurled abuses. She said: 'tumhari himmat kaise hui...ek MP ko rokne ki....tumhari aukat kya hai? (How dare you to stop an MP)'," the complaint stated.
Maliwal ignored the requests and started walking from the drawing room towards the inner parts of the residence, Kumar said in his complaint.
Kumar claimed that she intended to harm Kejriwal and he strongly "objected". Maliwal became angry and sat on a sofa and called the police control room. She started levelling false allegations, the complainant said.
Kumar said that when he requested Maliwal to leave the CM's residence, she said "Main tujhe dekh lungi...main tujhe aese joothe case mei fasaungi ki tujhe zindagi bhar jail mei sadah dungi ....(I will trap you in a false case and you will spend your whole life in prison)".
He said he called security officers in the main building and they too requested her to leave. She left the premises at 9.35 am, the complaint said.
Kumar has alleged that Maliwal trespassed, breached security of the CM's residence, prevented government officers from discharging their duty and assaulted him. Therefore, she is liable for action as per the law, he said.
Kumar said, "You (SHO) are requested to take appropriate legal action against Maliwal. Since it is election time, all of this may have been done at the behest of the BJP and it is therefore, requested that her call records, chats and interactions with BJP leaders should also be investigated."
