Pune to host Asian Grand Prix meet

Pune, Apr 2 (UNI) Pune will host the third Asian Grand Prix Meet along with the inaugural National Combined Event and Jumps Championships on June 27.

The AFI Annual General Body which met under the chairamanship of acting president Umrao Singh in Delhi recently chalked out the annual competition calendar for the year 2007.

Releasing the calendar here today, AFI joint honorary secretary Pralhad Sawant said that the third Asian Grand Prix Meet has been alloted to Pune to be held at the newly laid synthetic track at Baburao Sanas ground on June 27.

Pune had hosted the Asian Grand Prix meet last year at the same venue. Guwahati will host the second Asian Grand Prix on June 23.

The National Combined Event comprising of ''Decathlon'' ''Hepthetlon'' and ''Penthetlon'' has been clubbed with Jumps championship being introduced for the first time will be held on June 28 and 29.

Mr Sawant said the apex body AFI has alloted the jumping academy to the Pune Amateur Athletic Association (PAAA) and the Pune International Marathon Trust (PIMT) in a bid to promote jumping among the identified elite junior aspirants from the country. The Maharashtra Government has already allocted a land for setting up the academy.

The national sprint and relay championships will be held at Mumbai on October 15 and 16 while the Federation Cross Country Championship has been alloted to Nagpur to be held in the first week of January 2008, he said.

As per the calendar, the national and Inter-State senior athletic championships will be held at Bhopal from September 17 to 20. While the national open athletic championship will be held at Ranchi from October 24 to 27.

The Federation Cup National Senior Athletic Championship will be held at New Delhi from May 10 to 13. The national cross country championship has been allocated to Goa to be held on February 10, 2008.

UNI