New Delhi, Aug 6:
A 10-member athletics team will represent India at the 2019 IAU 24 Hour World Championships to be held at Albi, France on October 26 and 27.
The Athletics Federation of India has picked up six men and four women ultra runners for the competition.
AFI had set standards, which required the athlete to have run a minimum of 205km (men) and 165km (women)in a 24-hour race, in a period of 18 months before the date of the Championship.
Races completed during the period of April 26, 2018 to July 31, 2019 (last day for submission of the application) were considered, the AFI said in a statement.
In addition athletes meeting the qualification standards were also expected to have run an ultra race as a proof of fitness between January 26, 2019 to July 31, 2019.
At the 2018 IAU 24 Hour Asia & Oceania Championship in Taipei, the Indian team had won its first medal both in individual and team events in ultra running.
Ullas Narayana had covered a distance of 250km to win a bronze medal in a world class field in the championships in Taipei in December last year.
“The performance of Indian ultra and trail runners on the global level is improving. More Indian runners are involved in the sport of ultra and trail running which has encouraged AFI and NEB Sports to bid for hosting the 2020 IAU 24 Hour and 2021 IAU 100 km Asia & Oceania Championships in India, AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said.
Team:
Women: Apoorva Chaudhary (176km), Hemlata (172km), Priy-anka Bhatt (170km), Shyamala Sathyanarayana (167km).
Men: Ullas Narayana (250km), Binay Sah (222km), Sunil Sharma (215km), Pranaya Mohanty (211km), Kanan Jain (207km), Chanderkant (205km). (PTI)
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