Don't blame me for Chitra's omission, I wanted her to make it: Usha

Sprint legend PT Usha has stated that Kerala athlete PU Chitra was excluded from the Indian team for next month's World Championships as the youngster did not meet the qualifying mark set by the IAAF and she had no say in it.

Chitra, who won the 1,500m gold in the Asian Athletics Championships, was excluded from the national team for the World Championships to be held in London from August 4 to 13 by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) selection committee, in a decision which steamrolled into a controversy. 

There was much uproar regarding Chitra's ouster from the team and some even blamed Usha, saying she was part of the selection committee. Usha says she was saddened by some reports which suggested she was to blame her for Chitra’s omission.

“I was not part of the Athletics Federation of India’s selection committee. I attended the meeting only as an observer. Even the state sports minister blamed me without checking the facts and this hurt me," reports quoted Usha as saying  in Kozhikode on Wednesday.

Besides Chitra, Sudha Singh (3000m steeplechase) and Ajoy Kumar Saroj (men's 1500m) were also left out of the 24-member squad announced by the AFI, despite winning gold medals at the recent Asian Championships. 

Usha said she wanted all three athletes in the team and had spoken in support of them to the selection committee. "But the committee had decided that an athlete had to come somewhere near the qualification mark," she added.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the exclusion of Chitra in the team for the mega event. 

"Excluding Chitra, pride of not only of Kerala but also of the country, from the team for World Athletics Championship is condemnable. Neglect shown to the athlete cannot be justified," Pinarayi said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. 

The state government will take up the matter with the Centre, the CM said, adding they would extend full support to Chitra. The move to destroy the aspirations of Kerala's sports personalities should be discouraged, Pinarayi added. 

• PU Chitra
• PT Usha
• Pinarayi Vijayan