Asiad stars to vie for honours in National Open Athletics

Top track and field stars, including the likes of Asian Games gold medallist discus thrower Seema Punia and women's 4x400m relay runners, will vie for top honours in the season-ending National Open Athletics Championships, which begins here tomorrow.
Besides Punia, who is representing All India Police, the field for the four-day meet at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Complex will also have the likes of Asian Games medal winners in Tintu Luka (800m; Railways), M R Poovamma (400m; ONGC), O P Jaisha (1500m & 5000m; Punjab), Lalita Babbar (3000m steeplechase; Railways), Annu Rani (javelin throw; Railways), Khushbir Kaur (20km race walk, ONGC) and Rajiv Arokia (400m; Services).

One of the three top domestic events (besides National Inter-State and Federation Cup), the National Open will also see national record holders Arpinder Singh (triple jump; ONGC), Mayookha Johny (long jump and triple jump), Sahani Kumari (high jump; Karnataka), Shidhanth Thingalaya (110m hurdles; ONGC) among others in action.
National record holder and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Krishna Poonia has, however, decided to skip the meet.
Railways, which employs some of the best athletes in the country, has fielded 118 participants while 99 from All India Police will be among around 1000 sportspersons who will take part in the event.

ONGC, another institutional team that employs some top athletes of the country and is also the meet sponsors, will field 50 athletes.
The event will start with the women's and men's 20km race walk early morning tomorrow.