‘Neeraj has to qualify; Selva must jump very close to qualifying at interstate’: AFI explains conditional CWG selections

New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) Star Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s place in India’s athletics squad for the Commonwealth Games 2026 is not yet guaranteed despite his name featuring in the provisional list announced by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI).

During a virtual media interaction following the announcement of the 32-member contingent for Glasgow, AFI spokesperson and World Athletics vice-president Adille Sumariwalla clarified that Chopra remains the only selected athlete who is yet to achieve the required qualification mark.

Responding to questions about the criteria attached to Chopra’s inclusion, Sumariwalla made it clear that the Olympic champion will still need to meet the benchmark before his selection can be confirmed.

“Neeraj has to qualify. Everybody else has qualified. Those who are selected, everybody has achieved the qualifying standard. So, Neeraj will have to qualify. Selva has already qualified, but he’ll have to jump very close to his qualifying if we have to consider him, because we don’t know his present status as of today. And he himself has asked to come and participate, and he said that he would like to come and qualify at the interstate,” Sumariwalla told the media during a virtual press conference on Sunday.

The clarification came amid discussions about both Chopra and triple jumper Selva Prabhu, whose selections are tied to their performances in upcoming competitions.

While Chopra is expected to compete before the Commonwealth Games, the federation is still awaiting details of his return to competition following his recovery from injury.

Asked when the reigning world champion is likely to begin his season, Sumariwalla indicated that the athlete is still finalising his plans.

“He’ll let us know in a couple of days, we don’t know yet. He’s working out his competition schedule. He’s just recovered, so he’s good, he’s fit. He’s training fit now, he has to get competition fit,” Sumariwalla said.

Although back in training, the javelin star has not yet returned to competition and is expected to use the coming weeks to regain match sharpness. Sumariwalla also offered an update on Chopra’s recovery when asked about concerns surrounding his back injury, while providing encouraging news on middle-distance runner Jyoti Yaraji, who has been sidelined in recent months.

“Neeraj is now training fit, and he’s getting ready to compete probably in the next 10 days or so. So let’s wait and see that. Jyoti is recovering, recovering well and recovering fast. Let’s see, she’s also training fit, she now has to get competition fit,” he mentioned.

–IANS

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