P U Chitra issue: Go by Kerala HC directive, Vijay Goel tells AFI

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New Delhi, July 29: Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Saturday (July 29) advised the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to honour the Kerala High Court directive on P U Chitra to ensure her participation in the upcoming IAAF World Championships.

The Kerala HC had directed the Central Government on Friday (July 28) to ensure Chitra's participation in the World Athletics Championships in London next month.

"Shri Goel talked to AFI president Shri Adille Sumariwalla on the issue and advised him not to contest the directive given by the Kerala High Court as P U Chitra is otherwise a wild card entry for the World Championship," said Sports Ministry statement. She competes in the 1500m race.

Chitra, who recently won a gold in the women's 1500m event in the Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneshwar, filed a writ petition after she was excluded from the Indian squad by the federation.

In her plea, Chitra said her gold medal performance at the Asian Athletics Championships made her an automatic pick for the World Championships. The court observed that the selection process for the championship doesn't appear transparent and qualified athletes were ignored.

OneIndia News