National Games: AFI adds race walking after host Uttarakhand backs inclusion

New Delhi: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) decided on Saturday to include race walking for the upcoming National Games in Uttarakhand, after initially excluding the discipline from the programme despite its popularity in the state.

AFI has informed the organising committee that it will hold a 20km race walking event for men and a 10km race walking event for women.

The decision was taken after the hosts put up a strong pitch to include the event as it is considered a medal discipline for the hosts. The Uttarakhand Olympic Association had written to AFI to reconsider its decision. On Friday, HT reported how the surprise exclusion of race walking has left race walkers of the state and the hosts dejected.

“It is great to know that a race-walking competition will be held,” said Paris Olympian race walker Suraj Panwar. “We have been training hard to win medals for the state and we were disturbed when the event was taken out. We’re excited to compete in front of our home crowd,” said the reigning National Games champion in 20km race walk.

Uttarakhand, which is considered the cradle of the sport in India, won five medals from race walking in the previous two National Games in Gujarat and Goa.

Earlier AFI had informed the Games Technical Conduct Committee that “after careful consideration, the technical committee concluded that including the race walk event would not be in the best interest of the top athletes.”

The AFI technical committee wants elite race walkers to participate in select competitions so that they can achieve their peak in major international events. The focus this year will be to give off the best at the Asian Championships in Korea in May and the World Championships in Tokyo in September.

AFI has asked the organisers to invite international judges so that the National Games results are considered by the World Athletics.