NEW DELHI: The absence of shot putter
Abha Khatua
from the Indian athletics team's list of Olympic participants has raised confusion and concern. Khatua, who qualified for the
Paris Games
through the world ranking route, is currently training in Poland with other track and field athletes. However, her name was notably missing from the
World Athletics
' list of Olympic participants released on Friday night.
Khatua, along with her teammates, traveled to Spala, Poland, on Thursday to continue their preparations before heading to Paris on July 28. According to a PTI report, the
Athletics Federation of India
(AFI) had submitted 30 names to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), but World Athletics' list included only 29 Indian athletes, excluding Khatua.
The reason for this discrepancy remains unclear. World Athletics officials have been unavailable for comment. AFI officials have provided limited explanations. One AFI official mentioned that they were unaware of any issues with Khatua’s inclusion, while another stated that the matter had been brought to the attention of World Athletics.
The IOA confirmed that it had entered 30 track and field athletes, including two reserves, for the
Paris Olympics
.
Despite multiple attempts to contact her, Khatua did not respond to messages or calls by PTI.
Khatua's journey to the Olympics has been remarkable. Initially not considered a contender, she broke the national record at the Federation Cup in April in Bhubaneswar with a gold-winning throw of 18.41 meters. Although this performance placed her outside the qualification bracket, her gold-winning throw of 17.53 meters at the National Inter-State Championships, a Category A event, boosted her world ranking, securing her place at the Paris Games through the world ranking quota.
Currently ranked 21st in the world with 1059 points, Khatua made a significant leap in the Road to Paris list. The women’s shot put event in Paris will feature 32 athletes, with 15 automatically qualifying by surpassing the 18.80-meter mark and 17 others, including Khatua, making the cut through world rankings.
The mystery surrounding Khatua's omission from the official list needs swift resolution to ensure that all qualified athletes have the opportunity to represent India on the world stage.
English (US) ·