Athletics team leaves for Incheon, send-off by Sports Min

A 35-member track and field team will be leaving for the Incheon Asian Games in wee hours tomorrow, hoping to better their performance of the last edition with Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal giving an official send-off and wishing them luck.
21 women and 14 men athletes, nine coaches, one manager in addition to four support staff, two each for men and women competitors, will board the direct flight to Incheon from here at 02:30 hrs tomorrow.
In the last edition in China, Indian track and field athletes had won 12 medals, including five gold, and officials said this time the country is expected to more or less maintain the number of medals in this blue-riband discipline but may return with a reduced number of yellow metals.

Sonowal greeted all the members of the team individually and wished them luck for their competition in Incheon.
"Athletics has brought glory to India and produced many stalwarts ever since the Asian Games began in 1951. I'm sure the Indian athletics team will fight for every medal in Incheon. In the previous Asian Games in 2010, you won a total of 12 medals. I hope this time you win at least 12 gold medals," he said.
"The Ministry of Sports will do everything under its control to take Indian athletics to greater heights. I take this opportunity to assure all the athletes that the Government of India will extend every support to its sportspersons to win medals in future competitions," he added.

Among the top athletes leaving for Incheon include, discus throwers Krishna Poonia and Seema Punia, triple jumpers Arpinder Singh and Renjith Meheshwary, 110m hurdler Siddhanth Thingalaya, quartermiler M R Poovamma and 20km race walker K T Irfan.

This will be the third batch of the 52-member Indian athletics team to leave for Incheon.
Reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallist discus thrower Vikas Gowda will travel to Incheon from his base in United States, while woman half miler Tintu Luka will be in South Korea later.
Asked about Indian athletics team's chances, head coach Bahadur Singh said, "We will maintain the number of medals we won in last edition. We may even bag more because there are some events in which India may win two medals. But it will be difficult to win five gold like we did four years ago in China.