Manikanta left out of 100m despite making the cut for Asian athletics championships

Sprinter Manikanta Hoblidhar misses out on Indian team for Asian Championships despite meeting qualification standard.

Despite achieving the qualification standard and finishing third in the National Federation Athletics Championships which concluded here on Thursday, sprinter Manikanta Hoblidhar does not find a place in the 100m in the Indian team for next month’s Asian Championships in Gumi, South Korea.

Karnataka’s Manikanta had broken the 100m meet record in the semifinal, clocking 10.25s which is also the qualification standard set by the Athletics Federation of India for the Asians but the selectors were not impressed.

“Had he finished first or second, he would have been considered,” explained National chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair after the team was announced here on Friday.

“We have also not included Gurindervir Singh who clocked 10.20s (breaking the national record) in the recent Indian Grand Prix in Bengaluru because he finished last in the Federation Nationals (with 11.21).”

Incidentally, Mankanta had clocked 10.22s in that Bengaluru meet.

Neeraj not in the fray

World champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who will be in action in the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru on May 24, will not be going for the Asian Championships which begin on May 27.