AFI hopes to get Ashwini Akkunji into Asian Athletic Championships dashed

AFI hopes to get Ashwini Akkunji into Asian Athletic Championships dashed

Mangalore Today News Network

Pune, July 6, 2013 : The hopes of  dope-tainted sprinter Ashwini Akkunji who has completed her two year ban on making it to the ongoing Asian Athletic Championships in Pune, were dashed when the  competition technical delegate  refused to heed to the plea of Athletic Federation of India  on  the grounds that it would violate IAAF rules.

Earlier, the AFI had plans to get Akkunji into the women’s 4x100 meter relay team  to raise hopes of a gold medal in the event.

But, one of the two-member competition technical delegate, Yukio Seki from Japan said that no athlete would be allowed to be included now as doing that would violate the IAAF and AAA competition rules as the final entries have been frozen on June 20.

"The meeting of technical delegates of all the countries held before the Asian Championships also decided that no additional member from any country will be allowed after June 20 and once the competition starts," he said.

There was a possibility for Akkunji taking part in the Championships if India had made a request to the competition technical delegate that an athlete would be named later.

The 4x400m relay event begins with the heats on Saturday and ends on the last day of the Championships on Sunday.