Nearly 2000 boys and girls in the Under-14 group in the 18th National Inter-District Junior Athletics Meet (NIDJAM), Athletics Federation of India’s flagship talent search programme, will get a taste of competing in the kids Javelin Throw event in the Patliputra Sports Complex here next month.
More than 1100 boys and 800 girls in the U14 age group will compete in either the 60m sprint and 600m run, Broad Jump and High Jump here from February 10 to 12. All of them take part in the Kids’ Javelin Throw event as well.
AFI President Dr. Adille J. Sumariwalla said the Federation had made the Kids Javelin Throw a compulsory event for all U14 athletes in the wake of a request from many district associations. “We are excited to make the event an exciting part of NIDJAM in response to the growing popularity of the Javelin Throw and an overwhelming demand,” he said.
NIDJAM 2023 will feature around 5500 athletes, representing nearly 600 districts, in the U14 and U16 age groups. AFI will also hold seminars to educate athletes, coaches and officials from district associations around the country on the ills of doping and over-training.
Launched in 2003, NIDJAM is the world’s largest grass-root development project in athletics, giving over 100,000 athletes an opportunity to taste a national competition each year. AFI uses NIDJAM to identify and select athletes for further training based on their talent and physical aptitude.
Neeraj Chopra, current Olympic gold medalist in javelin throw, first attained national recognition at NIDJAM 2012 held in Haridwar.
