AFI reorganizes relay squads after Olympic disappointment

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is making changes to its 4x400 relay teams after the poor performance at the Paris Olympics. The 2025 Indian Open 400m competition will start on Monday at the LNCPE Athletics stadium, attracting attention with 49 entries in the men's category. Several prominent runners, including Mohammed Ajmal, Mohammed Anas, Arokia Rajiv, Noah Nirmal Tom, Amoj Jacob, and Rajesh Ramesh, will not compete this season. Rajesh Ramesh is recovering from an injury and has not yet regained his fitness. With these absences, national campers from the National Centre of Excellence in Thiruvananthapuram will be in focus. This competition will serve as a fitness assessment for the quarter-milers, rather than purely a measure of their speed. In the women's category, interest is lower, with only 18 athletes set to compete. Notable runners include Rupal, Prachi, R. Vithya Ramraj, Jisna Mathew, and Anu R. The event will also feature competitions for under-20 and under-18 boys and girls.