Athletics Federation of India postpones national inter-district meet to February due to cold weather

Modified Jan 04, 2023 18:32 IST

"Thank you Tokyo!" Tokyo 2020 Games One Year Anniversary Event — Neeraj Chopra in action at an earlier event (Image: Getty)

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has postponed the 18th National Inter-District Junior Athletics Meet (NIDJAM), scheduled to be held next week in Bihar, due to cold weather and delays in long-distance train services, AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said on Wednesday.

The AFI flagship event will now take place between February 10 and 12 at the Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna.

“The cold wave, leading to schools being closed, and the disruptions in train services have forced the rescheduling of NIDJAM from January 12 to 14,” Sumariwalla said. “With approximately 6000 boys and girls from nearly 600 districts due to compete in the flagship meeting, we had to factor in the athletes' safety in making the decision.”

According to AFI, some of India’s elite athletes like Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra (2012), 2018 Asian Games medal winner in sprints Dutee Chand (2011) and world junior medalist in the long jump Shaili Singh (2019), were among those who cut their teeth in the earlier editions of NIDJAM.

The NIDJAM is being held after a gap of three years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The grassroots competition will be conducted for the first time on the synthetic track since its inception in 2003.

“The NIDJAM is world’s largest track and field meet at the grassroots level and attracts raw talent from more than 550 districts,” Sumariwalla revealed.

The competition will be organized for boys and girls aged under-14 and under-16.

The AFI president also stressed the importance of harmful side effects of doping. He called on district representatives to ensure that all their athletes were aware of the risks of doping and how it can impact their sports careers.

“Doping is a serious problem and it is our responsibility to ensure that young athletes are aware of the risks and the consequences,” Sumariwalla said. “We must do everything in our power to educate and protect our athletes, and to maintain the integrity of our sport.”