Indian Open 400m: a testing ground for the country’s leading quarter-milers

The 400 metres is one of India’s strongest events in athletics at the continental level. The seventh Indian Open 400m meet, which will be held at the LNCPE Athletics Stadium here on Saturday, gets special attention in the Asian Games year. It will be the testing ground for the country’s leading quarter-milers.

The season opener has evoked strong interest in the men’s category with 67 entries. V. Muhammed Ajmal, Muhammed Anas, T.S. Manu and Amoj Jacob are some experienced runners in the fray. Some of the youngsters like M. Sharan, who graduated from the under-20 category, will be competing in the men’s event for the first time.

The focus will also be on the campers attached to the National Centre of Excellence in Thiruvananthapuram. The event will be an opportunity for the coaches to assess their fitness and progress.

The women’s event has attracted a significantly lesser number of entries (27). Hima Das, Vithya Ramraj, Jyothika Sri Dandi, Prachi, Gowri Nandana, Anu Raghavan and Poovama Raju are some of the prominent names.

Competition will also be held in u-20 and u-18 categories for boys and girls, respectively.