The first day of the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships concluded with multiple National Records (NR) and Meet Records (MR) at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. While most events went smoothly, concerns were raised by some parents and athletes over the condition of the discus arena, with the U20 women’s discus throw held at a separate venue, B Stadium.
According to coaches and those present at the venue, the preparations for the discus event were subpar. The arena was waterlogged and muddy, and there were no stands to place the discuses, leaving them scattered on the ground. These conditions made it difficult for the athletes to compete.
The condition of the arena was also reflected in the performances. Amanat Kamboj, who won gold with a meet-record throw of 51.44m, managed only two legal throws, recording four consecutive fouls during the competition. She opened with 47.23m, followed by four consecutive fouls, before producing her gold-medal-winning throw of 51.44m on her final attempt.
Among the top eight finishers, who collectively took 48 attempts across six rounds each, 13 throws were recorded as fouls.
Water can reduce grip and cause athletes to slip during the rotational movement. However, the main concern was the wet grass and muddy soil around the circle, rather than a synthetic track surface. Athletes had to walk through the muddy area before taking their attempts, with mud accumulating on their shoes and making the throwing process more difficult.
Beyond performance, the conditions also raised safety concerns, as athletes could lose their balance and risk injuries to their ankles or knees.
NNIS Sports reached out to Tamil Nadu Athletics Association Secretary Latha over the phone. She said,
“Yes, we have assigned another stadium for the discus, as there will be an ISL (Indian Super League) match in the main stadium on 30th October. And the time is very less for the repairs. That’s why we allotted a different stadium, which is also a world-class facility, but due to rain, everything happened. We can’t do much about natural calamities.”
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is the home ground of Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC, who are scheduled to play a match next week. The grass pitch is also used for football, and holes created during discus and hammer throw events can affect the playing surface.
Speaking to NNIS Sports, a coach who wished to remain anonymous said,
“It’s sad to see the condition of the stadium for the Junior Nationals competition. If our country wants to host the Olympics and really wants to see our athletes winning medals in front of the home crowd, this is the competition they should be targeting, as these athletes will be taking part in those Olympics.”
Amit Singh, father of Nischay, who holds India’s U20 discus national record, has represented India at the World U20 Championships and won silver at the Asian U20 Championships, also raised concerns. In a video posted on social media, he said,
“There are Asian medallists, national medallists, and athletes who will be taking part in other competitions. Who will be responsible if something happens to the athletes?”
For the previous two editions, Odisha’s Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar hosted the Junior Nationals. After two consecutive years in Bhubaneswar, Chennai is hosting the competition this time.