Arokia Rajiv tells AFI he will not be able to feature in retrial for World C'ships

Quarter-miler Arokia Rajiv has told the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) that he will not be able to take part in the retrial run for a spot in the 4x400m relay team for the upcoming World Championships.

Sources in the know of things informed that Rajiv is unwell and he is set to give the retrial a miss even though that may cost him a place in the Indian team for the July 15-24 World Championships in Eugene, USA.

''He has told the AFI that he will not be able to take part in the second trial at NIS Patiala on July 8,'' a top source, who is privy to the development, told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Rajiv, woman quarter-miler Aishwarya Mishra and long jumper Jeswin Aldrin had ''failed to impress'' in the trials called by AFI on Monday in Thiruvananthapuram. AFI President Adille Sumariwalla had said that all the three athletes have been given another chance to prove themselves on Friday at NIS Patiala.

''The performances of all three of them were not up to the mark, nothing to be impressed of. They did not meet the standards,'' Sumariwalla said on Monday.

''But we have given them another chance. They can come and undergo another trial on Friday at NIS Patiala, where the Junior World Championships trial will take place on that day,'' he had said.

Sumariwalla had said that Rajiv would be selected for the World Championships only if his performance is satisfactory during the retrial in Patiala.

''We will select him (Arokia) only if his performance is up to the mark. Otherwise, we can select only five athletes in the 4x400m relay squad,'' Sumariwalla said. Rajiv had clocked 47.89 seconds, well below his personal and season's best. Aishwarya, who was named in the World Championships squad subject to clocking close to 52 second in the 400m selection trial, could complete the race in 53.15 second on Monday.

Aldrin, who was not named in the team on the ground that his performance had dropped consistently after jumping 8.26m during the Federation Cup in April, could only jump a best of 7.99m, while the stipulated mark was close to 8.10m.

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