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Arokia Rajiv, Arjuna awardee and 2018 Asian Games medalist in relay is a doubt for the second selection trials scheduled July 8 for the Eugene World Athletics Championships in Patiala. The news was confirmed by an athletics coach familiar with the development on Tuesday.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, the coach confirmed on the condition of anonymity.
“He (Rajiv) is unwell and will skip the July 8 selection trials for the Eugene World Athletics Championships."
In the first fitness trials on Monday, the 31-year-old army runner clocked 47.89 in 400m. The selection trials were conducted by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) in Thiruvananthapuram. Rajiv was selected for the men’s 4x400m relay team. Five members of the national relay team left for the USA on July 3.
“We don’t want to deny them a chance to qualify for the World Championships. They are welcome to take one more trial,” Adille Sumariwalla, president of the AFI, said in a statement.
Arioka Rajiv has not been in great form of late
India’s top runner Amoj Jacob was the first choice but he couldn’t recover from a hamstring injury sustained on June 14 in Chennai. Jacob was replaced by Rajiv in the relay team. But AFI wanted Rajiv to prove his fitness as he didn’t perform on the expected lines in the domestic event before boarding the flight to Eugene.
The AFI has also asked two other athletes—long jumper Jeswin Aldrin and 400m runner Aishwarya Mishra, to report for the second trials in Patiala.
The AFI wasn’t satisfied with the fitness trials of all three athletes on Monday. The AFI set a 8.10m mark for Aldrin in the long jump. His best jump was 7.99m. Aishwarya's time of 53.15 seconds in 400m on Monday was below her personal best of 51.18 seconds clocked in April earlier this year in Kerala.
According to the national coach, having another round of trials close to the World Athletics Championships might give athletes another chance.
