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Tumkur (Karnataka), April 23 (IANS) Overall 1059 competitors, including 709 male track and field athletes, will be seen in action during the three-day National Junior (U20) Athletics Competition, starting Friday at Mahatma Gandhi Stadium in Tumkur, Karnataka.

The competition will also act as a qualifying event for next month’s Asian U20 Athletics Championships to be held in Hong Kong.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has already announced the qualification standards for the Asian U20 meet. The three-day age group competition in Karnataka will see several promising junior athletes achieve their goal to wear the Indian jersey.

The first medal event on Friday will be 5,000m track races in both men's and women’s sections.

The opening day will also witness Jharkhand’s promising sprinter Parth Singh testing his prowess against his rivals, including Partik Maharana of Odisha. Jharkhand’s sprinter had a good 2025 season and will be looking ahead on Friday to dominate the men’s 100m dash.

The Karnataka competition will be a good platform for Odisha’s international 400m runner Bapi Hansda, who is making a comeback after a long hiatus due to an injury sustained during the 2025 National Games in Uttarakhand.

Kerala’s rising quarter-miler Mohammed Ashfaq has also confirmed his entry. Ashfaq will also be looking forward to cementing his place in the national team for the Asian U20 Athletics meet in Hong Kong.

As many as 79 athletes are in the fray in the men’s 100m. Going by the entries, 93 competitors will contest the top three places in the men’s 200m. The quarter-mile will see 89 male athletes vying for top honours.

The opening day will also decide the fastest female athlete. The women’s 100m dash has attracted 37 entries.

Medals will also be decided in women’s pole vault and discus throw on day one.

--IANS

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