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Athletics Federation of India is organizing the Asian All-Star Athletics Meet for the second time in succession. India hosted the previous edition in Bhopal two years ago after the inaugural meet at Singapore in 2004.
The third edition of the above meet will be held on a brand new synthetic track at the newly renovated Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on July 29 and 30. The Stadium was also inagurated today.
Originally built for the Asian Games held in 1982, the JLN Stadia underwent a facelift to accommodate about 60,000 spectators during the Commonwealth Games. It will be the main hub of activities during the Commonwealth Games as it not only hosts the athletics events, but also the opening and closing ceremonies as well.
A brand new Conica synthetic surface with a nine lane 400m track is ready to welcome the cream of athletes from all over the Asia. This apart, the stadium also has a 10 lane track on the home-straight to conduct 100m sprint races and hurdles. Indoor warming-up areas and practice spaces for long throws make it a world class facility.
Athletes arrive at the Indian capital will also have a feel on the full-fledged training track laid at nearby Thyagaraj Stadium. Beginning tomorrow, the athletes will make use of the finest facilities available on the two venues mentioned above.
Athletes from as much as seventeen Asian nations are taking part in the two day meet. Indian shot putter Om Prakash Singh and discus thrower Vikas Gowda are leading the challenge among the men. Discus thrower Krishna Poonia and 800m runner Tintu Luka are the top bets among the Indian women.
Iranian discus thrower Abbas Samimi is a potential threat to the Indian athletes while his teammate Leyla Rajabi is a strong woman in shot put.
In triple jump, Indian athlete Renjith Maheswary making a come back at the continental scene while Alexandra Kotlyarova is the top billing among the women.
Svetlana Radzivil and Nadiya Dusanova of Uzbekistan together with Anna Ustinova of Kazakhstan will form the elite group of women high jumpers to cheer the fans on the Indian capital.
