Army marathon runner Srinu Bugatha waits in queue for Commonwealth Games berth

Army marathon runner Srinu Bugatha continues to wait in the queue for a Commonwealth Games berth. Despite qualifying for the Commonwealth Games in January 2022, he has yet to receive a nod from the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) selection panel.

Instead, the AFI selection panel cleared the name of Nitendra Singh Rawat in men’s marathon at the Commonwealth Games as he was the leading runner until June. Rawat posted a time of two hours, 16 minutes and 05 seconds in March this year.

Bugatha was the fastest runner in the 2021 season, having clocked two hours, 14 minutes and 59 minutes in 2021. His season-best in 2022 has so far been two hours, 16 minutes and 25 seconds, which he achieved at an international event in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in January 2022.

The Commonwealth Games qualifying time in men’s marathon race is two hours and 18 minutes.

“But due to the limited quota of 36 athletes for the Commonwealth Games starting on July 28, only one marathon runner has been selected,” the national athletics coach told Sportskeeda. “Bugatha has been consistent in his performances over the past two years and should have also had a chance to compete at the Commonwealth Games.”

Bugatha skipped the Delhi race in March to focus on his training as he had already qualified in January for the Commonwealth Games.

“When the AFI selection panel met last week, the members were more inclined towards javelin and triple jump events and selected three athletes in each of the field events for the Commonwealth Games because of better medal prospects,” a national-level coach said. “But a margin of 20 seconds in a grueling marathon race (42.195 km) isn’t a big gap.”

KC Ramu, a marathon coach with the Army, said senior officials have contacted the AFI to give Srinu a chance, but it is uncertain whether that will happen or not.

“The top army officials in Pune, where Bugatha has his training base, are constantly in touch with the AFI office in New Delhi,” the Army coach told Sportskeeda.

Missing the Commonwealth Games wouldn’t have hurt Bugatha, but that’s the only major competition of the 2022 season happening. Bugatha also qualified for the 2022 Asian Games, but due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in China, it has been postponed to 2023.

Bugata hasn’t achieved the qualification time for the Eugene World Athletics Championships starting on July 15 in Oregon, USA.

Meanwhile, Tejaswin Shankar, national record holder in men’s high jump, has approached the Delhi High Court as he was excluded from the national team despite qualifying for the Commonwealth Games.