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What's the story?
Kerala Chief Minister Pinrayi Vijayan has issued a statement of support towards runner PU Chitra, who was excluded from India's squad at the IAAF World Championships in London next month.
"It is shocking and unacceptable that Kerala's Chitra who won an automatic entry into the World Championships has been left out," he said. "Kerala strongly protests the omission of Chithra from the Indian squad. We will bring this to the notice of the Central Government." Pinarayi added.
Chitra had earlier clocked her personal best in the 1500m event of the Asian Athletics Championship to add to India's medal tally. Many, including Chitra, saw her gold medal as a direct ticket to the World Championships.
The athlete later expressed her shock at being excluded and said that she was 'devastated and it was 'least expected'. Following this, her coach Sijin VS has moved an urgent writ petition to the Kerala High Court.
In case you didn't know
Chitra was born in a poor family in Mundur village in Palakkad. She started her tryst with athletics at a young age in school, and her physical education teacher Sijin VS at that time continues to coach her till now.
The heart of the matter
With only a few days left before the Indian contingent leaves for London, Chitra and her coach are trying all possible methods to ensure her participation. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Sports Minister AC Moideen have also called the exclusion unjustified. Following this, Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel has promised to look into the matter.
Chitra however, is not the only gold medalist from AAC to miss out on a berth. Veteran steeplechaser Sudha Singh and men's 1500m gold medallist Ajay Kumar Saroj have also been excluded from the list of 24 athletes set to represent India in London. In fact, the AFI has decided not to send any Indian participant for all three of these disciplines.
While the AFI have stated that the reason is their below par timings, Chitra's coach has speculated that the reasons for exclusion are different. He claims that this is the result of a partial attitude towards the athlete because she continues to be coached by a school teacher and not an acclaimed coach.
What's next?
With a writ in the Kerala HC and the Kerala CM and Union Sports Minister getting involved, this story is sure to be tracked closely by the media. It remains to be seen whether Chitra will get what she believes is due to her. If she somehow gets included on the list though, it will open the door for similar demands by the other two excluded Asian gold medal winners.
Author's Take
If Chitra PU's exclusion from the Indian contingent has been done with mala fide intentions, the causes for the same should definitely be investigated. However, considering that other athletes who have won gold in the Asian Championships have also been excluded, prima facie, it doesn't seem like a case of selective injustice against Chitra.
