Elite Indian race walkers will jostle for the Commonwealth Games berth this weekend in Ranchi

Uttar Pradesh’s 26-year-old Olympian Priyanka Goswami will be seen in action over the coming weekend at the ninth edition of the Indian Open Race Walking Championships, in Ranchi.

The two-day competition on Saturday April 16 and Sunday April 17 will also act as a qualifying event for upcoming international competitions, including the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which begin on July 28 in Birmingham.

Priyanka, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, established herself atop the field in the women’s 20 km race walk at the 2021 edition of the national competition.

Priyanka Goswami confident of defending national title

Since then, Priyanka has remained undefeated on the domestic front. She exuded confidence in defending her national title.

“My main goal in Ranchi this weekend is to win back-to-back national titles,” Priyanka said. “The overall performance will depend on the local weather conditions.”

The 2021 edition of the national race walking competition was organized in February at the same venue. Priyanka won gold in women’s 20 km with a national record of 1::28:45. The meet was supposed to be held in February this year, too, but was postponed to April due to the pandemic.

Improving the national record isn’t on cards due to hot weather conditions.

“Because of the hot weather conditions in Ranchi at this time of the year, the competitors will go for positions rather than breaking a national record,” Priyanka said.

Earlier last month, Priyanka switched to 35 km at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships held in Oman to test her endurance, setting a national record in the process with a time of 3::13:19. Priyanka broke Ramandeep Kaur's record of 3::15:17. The Indian women's team also won bronze in the 20 km team event in Oman.

The women’s Group A 20 km race at the national meet is packed with nine elite athletes. Besides Priyanka, Rajasthan’s Bhawana Jat, who also represented India at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will be among the medal contenders. Punjab’s Baljeet Kaur Bajwa, Munita Prajapati, and Reshma Patel are other prominent athletes in the group.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has clubbed athletes having a slow time in 20 km in Group B. Apart from senior men and women’s 20 km, competition will also be held in the 35 km category in the senior group and 20 km in the junior section.

For the women’s 35 km event, the AFI has received nine entries. Ramandeep Kaur of Punjab and Payal of Uttarakhand are the prominent names who will figure in the competition.