Gowda named in Asian Athletics C’ship team, Seema left out

Commonwealth Games gold medallist discus thrower Vikas Gowda will spearhead the Indian challenge in the Asian Athletics Championships to be held in Wuhan, China from June 3-7 while his female counterpart Seema Punia has been left out from the team.

Athletics Federation of India on Thursday named 29 athletes (14 men and 15 women) which will be increased later after trials are conducted in two individual events and four relay races.

Gowda, who will defend his title he had won in Pune in the last edition in 2013, has been named in the team but Seema Punia, who won a gold in 2014 Asian Games in Incheon and a silver in 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has been left out as she is yet to achieve full fitness.

Triple jumper Arpinder Singh, who won a bronze in Glasgow, missed the cut while shot putter Inderjeet Singh, who has already qualified for 2016 Rio Olympics, M R Poovamma (women’s 400m), Tintu Luka (women’s 800m) and Lalita Babar (women’s 3000m steeplechase) have been included.