Tintu Luka to appear in confirmatory trial in Thiruvananthapuram

NEW DELHI: Middle-distance runner Tintu Luka will undergo a confirmatory trial in Thiruvananthapuram on August 15 as she makes a bid to make the cut for next month's Asian Games.

Luka, who has not competed this year as she was recovering from an injury, will run her 800m race at the IG Chandrasekharan Nair Police Stadium in the Kerala capital. She was named in the 51-member Indian team for the Asian Games subject to a confirmatory trial. 

The national record holder Luka, who won a silver in the 2014 Asian Games, did not take part in the June 26-29 National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Guwahati due to a heel injury.

She also did not take part in the Federation Cup in March, which had served as the selection trial for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

High jumper B Chetan and long jumpers Nayana James and Neena Pinto have also been asked to appear for confirmatory trials in Thiruvananthapuram on August 15.

Juana Murmu (400m hurdles), Sandeep Kumari (discus throw), Anu Rani (javelin throw) and Naveen Chikara (shot put) have been told to undergo the confirmatory trials at NIS Patiala on August 15 while Monika Chaudhary (1500m) will do the same in Thimphu in Bhutan (where she is currently training) on the same day. 

All the race walkers named in the Indian team have been asked to appear for fitness trials at SAI Center in Bangalore.

Sandeep Kumar (50km race walk) has been asked to undergo the fitness trial on July 28 while Khushbir Kaur, Soumya Baby, K Irfan and Manish Singh Rawat -- all 20km race walk -- have been told to the same on August 18 at the same place. 

The AFI is expected to announce the names of some more athletes to appear for trials in a day or two. In the team announced earlier in the month, 11 were named subject to the confirmatory trails.