Anju

New Delhi: Ace long jumper Anju Bobby George has pulled out of the Asian Grand Prix meet to be held in Bangkok on Thursday because of an injury, according to Athletic Federation of India (AFI) sources.

The AFI secretary, Lalit Bhanot, who announced the Bangkok-bound squad on Monday, said Anju has withdrawn at the last moment after suffering an injury on her right heel. She, however, will participate in the next two Grand Prixs to be held in India later this month.

Bengal’s Pinki Pramanik and Hari Shankar Roy have also been selected in the squad for the 800m and high jump, respectively.

While Bangalore holds the first Grand Prix on May 22, the next one will be organised in Pune on May 26. Anju’s unexpected withdrawal from the Indian squad came as she could not recover from the injury she suffered in the Bangalore camp two days before the Qatar Super Grand Prix in Dubai on May 12. She went ahead to participate in the Dubai meet despite the injury after her doctors opined it would heal soon. The top Indian athlete will also not take part in the Prefontaine Classic to be held in Eugine in the US on May 28.

Other than Anju, the 19-member Indian squad for Bangkok has some of the prominent names Ghamanda Ram (800m), Ranvijay Singh and Harwant Kaur (both shot put), missing all of whom are not in the squad because of fitness problems. Discuss thrower Seema Antil is also not in the team, but will take the field in Bangalore and Pune.

THE Squad

Men: Anil Kumar (100m), Satbir Singh (400m), Francis Sagairaj (800m), Sunil Kumar and Pritam Bind (3000m), Joseph Abraham and Gurpreet Singh (400m hurdle), Hari Shankar Roy (high jump), Amrit Pal Singh and Mahan Singh (long jump), Navpreet Singh (shot put), Jagdish Kumar Bisnoi and Anil Singh (javelin).

Women: Rajwinder Kaur (200m), Manjit Kaur (400m), Pinky Pramanik and Shanti Saudarajan (800m), Anuradha Biswal (100m hurdle), Krishna Punia (discus).

Coaches: Dr Nikolai Snese and R.S. Siddhu.