Vikas Gowda Suffers Injury, Rio Participation Subject to Fitness

Reigning Asian champion discus thrower Vikas Gowda has suffered a shoulder injury and his participation in the upcoming Rio Olympics is subject to fitness, the Athletics Federation of India said on Tuesday.

AFI President Adille Sumariwalla said that Gowda's father had informed the federation that the ace discus thrower, who will be taking part in his fourth Olympics in Rio, has suffered a "minor" shoulder injury but he will be fine for the Games. The men's discus throw event of Rio Olympics is scheduled on August 12.

33-year-old Gowda, who also won a gold in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, is based in the United States and he has not taken part in any competitive event since making the Rio cut in December last year, that also after the world governing body IAAF reduced the qualification standard to 65m from 66m.

"I have spoken to Gowda's father and he said his son has suffered a minor shoulder injury. I cannot send a doctor to US and assess Gowda's injury. I have to believe in what his father says. His father says it's a minor injury and he should be fine for Olympics. I have to believe in that," Sumariwalla said at a media briefing with a select group of journalists.

"He (Gowda) will have to prove his fitness sometime before the start of Olympics. It will not be a trial but he will have to prove that he is fit to take part in Olympics. Gowda will undergo some kind of throwing session from which we can know he is fit. We will get to know this from his father and the coach," he said.

Besides Gowda, three other Rio-qualified athletes --marathon runner Kavita Raut and 20km race walkers Khushbir Kaur and Sapna -- have also been placed subject to fitness.

"Kavita Raut, Khushbir and Sapna will also have to prove fitness before going to Rio," the AFI president said, while issuing the names of 38 athletes, including 18 women, who have qualified for the Olympics.

Yesterday was the deadline for Rio qualification in track and field events.

Gowda, Kavita, Khushbir and Sapna have been marked "subject to fitness" against their names in the list.

Gowda to head straight to Rio

Sumariwalla conceded that it was a "setback" for the AFI that Gowda has suffered an injury but expressed delight that a record 38 athletes have qualified for the Summer Games.

The injury means that Gowda will go straight to the discus throw event in the Olympics without any competition. He used to compete in some legs of the elite Diamond League series every year but this season he has not taken part in any so far.

A few legs of the Diamond League series are scheduled in the run-up to the Olympics but he is unlikely to take part in any of them.

Sumariwalla expressed delight at 38 athletes making the Olympics cut though he said he cannot predict any medal from Rio.

"I will not talk about medals but I am very happy that so many athletes have qualified for Olympics. 38 is the highest number. It shows that athletics is doing well, it is going up," he said.

"If this trend goes on, I believe we can be certain for medals in 2020 or 2024 Olympics in athletics," he added.

"I will be happy if the athletes do better than their personal bests. I expect a lot many making it to the final round this time. Athletics is such a fiercely competitive discipline in the Olympics that making it to the final round is an achievement in itself," said Sumariwalla, who is also a sitting member of the powerful IAAF Council.

Asked about some events in which Indian athletes can reach the final round, he said, "4x400m relay race for both men and women, women's 800m, women's 3000m steeplechase, shot put and discus throw."

Sumariwalla confirmed that the men's and women's 4x400m relay teams have qualified for the Olympics as they are at 13th and 14th spots respectively in the world rankings by yesterday's deadline. The top-16 in the world rankings qualify for the Olympics.

On the chances of triple jumper Renjith Maheswary who yesterday cleared an impressive 17.30m on the last day of qualification in Bengaluru yesterday, Sumariwalla said, "Renjith is a kind of athlete who can give you a medal or come up worst. He can win a medal, he is so unpredictable. He can reach the final round."