INJURED AROKIA HELPS MEN CLINCH 4X400M PARIS BERTH, INDIAN WOMEN TOO MAKE OLYMPIC CUT

CHENNAI: After initial hiccups, the India men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams qualified for the Paris Games by finishing second in their respective Olympic qualifying rounds at the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, the Bahamas, on Sunday. The men’s team clocked 3:03.23, while the women’s team registered 3:29.35.

On the opening day, the men’s team was dealt a blow when Rajesh Ramesh got injured in the heats. The team could not complete the race and had to wait until the next day to book an Olympic quota. In the second Olympic qualifying round (led by Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Muhammed Ajmal, Arokia Rajiv and Amoj Jacob), Rajesh was replaced by Arokia Rajiv and the two-time Olympian did not disappoint.

"It was a major blow for the team when Rajesh got injured. We were expecting to win a medal but since we did not finish the race, we couldn’t qualify for the medal race.In the second qualifying round, I held my nerve and ran the third leg with an injury. Despite that, I managed to pass the baton to anchor-leg runner Amoj Jacob in the third spot. He then overtook the Mexican opponent to finish second," Arokia told TOI.

The India team was stationed in the Bahamas for the past month to get accustomed to the conditions. "Initially, I was fit but after a few days, during the speed workout training, I got injured (hamstring). I was the most experienced athlete in the squad and took the responsibility to run the race in Rajesh’s absence. My only aim was to maintain pace and not let go of the position. Had I faltered in the middle, our hopes of qualifying would have been dashed. I tried to play it safe and passed on the baton to the much fitter Jacob. I had the belief in him and he finished the race in style."

Rajiv, 32, was not part of the India camp for the past year and participated in only a few races in 2023. He was not part of the World Athletics Championships as well as the Asian Games last year, when the men’s relay team performed exceptionally well. "In 2023, I hardly competed as I wanted to spend time with my family. After that, with the Olympics fast approaching, I started full-fledged training in August to get ready for the new season."

The Tamil Nadu athlete performed decently in the recently-concluded National Open 400m Championships and the Relay Carnival. That helped him get selected for the relay squad. Although he wasn’t part of the main team, he played a crucial role when it mattered the most on the final day. "We came here to bag a quota and we did it in the end. Had the squad not suffered from injuries, we would have qualified on the first day itself."