The 55th National Open Athletics Championship will begin at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) complex Kolkata on Wednesday.
India’s top athletes will vie for honours at the event.
All eyes would be on sportspersons heading for the Rio Olympics, as also on 19-year old sprinter Dutee Chand of Odisha, who was cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in July to compete in national and international events after challenging world body of the sport IAAF’s policy on hyper-androgenism.
Dutee Chand who had bagged the 100 metre and 200 metre gold in the National Open in Ranchi two years ago, missed out on the last edition in Delhi with the ban.
The country’s top athletes, including those representing the Railways and Services are expected to dominate the four-day event, which will have competitions in 44 events in men’s and women’s sections, and will see over 900 athletes from across 28 states and eight Sports Boards in action.