With an eye on Asian Games 2022, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has decided to send a young 11-member team for the World Race Walking Team Championships 2022, to be held in Muscat on March 4 and 5.
From the six race walkers who represented India at Tokyo 2020 Olympics, KT Irfan, Gurpreet Singh and Rahul Rohila were dropped. Rio 2016 Olympian Manish Rawat, the reigning 35km race walking national champion, also missed out.
Tokyo Olympians Sandeep Kumar, Priyanka Goswami and Bhawna Jat, meanwhile, made the team for the Muscat meet after proving their fitness at the national trials conducted at Bengaluru’s Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centre earlier this month.
Among the newcomers who will be looking to establish themselves ahead of the Asian Games scheduled later this year, will be 20-year-olds Suraj Panwar and Munita Prajapati.
Both the upcoming race walkers will be making their debuts on the global stage in Muscat. India’s two under-20 walkers, Amit Khatri from Haryana and Reshma Patel from Uttarakhand will represent India in the 10km race walk.
“With the Asian Games due to be held in Hangzhou later this year, these talented youngsters will gain immense experience in Muscat,” AFI president Adille J Sumariwalla said.
The 2020 edition of the biennial World Race Walking Team Championships in Belarus was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indian team for the World Race Walking Championships 2022 in Oman
Men 35km: Ram Baboo, Chandan Singh and Eknath Sambhaji
Men 20km: Sandeep Kumar and Suraj Panwar
U20 Men 10km: Amit Khatri
Women 35km: Priyanka Goswami
Women 20km: Bhawna Jat, Ravina and Munita Prajapati
U20 Women 10km: Reshma Patel
World Race Walking Championships 2022 schedule
All timings are in Indian Standard Time (IST)
Friday, March 4
U20 women (10km) – 6:30 AM IST
U20 men (10km) – 7:40 AM IST
Women (20km) – 2:30 PM IST
Masters relay (8km) – 5:30 PM IST
Saturday, March 5
Men and women (35km) – 5:30 AM IST
Men (20km) – 2:30 PM IST
Masters men and women (10km) – 5:30 PM IST