Jamshedpur, June 2: The National Games seems to top the priority list of the Jharkhand Athletic Association (JAA) as it strides ahead to set the preparations for the 2005 Games rolling.

The state athletic body will shortly start the preparations for selecting the squad for the National Games 2005 to be held in Guwahati.

Eager to field a strong contingent, the association will shortlist athletes from a pack of 70 athletes during the state championships in Gumla from June 10-12. The athletes will be chosen on the basis of their performance in the meet.

M.K. Pathak, the president of JAA, confirmed that the selection of the athletes will be based on their performance in the state meet. ?The shortlisting process will begin during the state meet. We will select athletes who have the potential of winning medals in the big league,? he added.

He also added that they would emphasise on those athletes with consistent performances over the past year. ?Though performance would be the key to selection, we would also keep the consistency factor of a player in mind,? he said.

Incidentally, the JAA seems to have taken the lead as far as early preparation for the Games is concerned. Most of the other state sports bodies are yet to chalk out their preparation strategies.

Pathak, who is also a senior office-bearer of the Jharkhand Olympic Association (JOA), said the shortlisted candidates will be attending intensive conditioning camps. The camps will either be held in Jamshedpur or in Ranchi.

The JAA will also short- list athletes like Chitra K. Soman and Vinod PJ, who are in the national camp at present.

Pathak also said the JAA will try to avail of the services of Nicolai Snasarev, the Belurussian coach of the Tata Middle Distance Academy. ?His inputs will be great for the wards,? he added.

The JAA president also added that the team would be selected keeping in mind the National Games 2007 in Jharkhand.