Jharkhand athletes have an opportunity to try and make it to the state squad for the 36th National Games in Goa with the Jharkhand Athletics Association (JAA) is hosting the State Senior Open Athletics Championship at Albert Ekka Stadium in Gumla between April 16 and 18.

"Performance of athletes (men and women) will be key during the state championship. We have planned to shortlist 60 athletes for preparing them for the Games. The shortlisted athletes will prepare themselves at a training camp to be organised by us in due course of time," said JAA president Madhukant Pathak.

The dates of the much-delayed National Games is yet to be announced. But the state association wants ample time to prepare athletes.

According to Pathak, although performance of athletes would be key during the state meet, the association would like to choose those with potential to win medals.

"Athletes with potential would be given preference. It is not necessary that athletes finishing in the top three positions would get the nod (for the camp). Our athletes are improving their performances in the national circuit and they have the potential to excel in big-ticket competitions," Pathak, who is also secretary general of Jharkhand Olympic Association, explained.

He said they would like to go for quality rather than quantity when it comes to selection of athletes for the Nationals. "We may go for 30-40 athletes for the camp. That is why the state championship is important for the athletes when it comes to finding slots for the Games," Pathak elaborated.

According to him, all affiliated district units of JAA would participate at the state championship. "We have already received around 200 athletes," Pathak said over phone from Ranchi.

On why the state championship was being held in Gumla and not in Ranchi or Jamshedpur, the JAA president said they want to take athletics to other districts as well. "We want to popularise athletics in other districts as well. The Albert Ekka Stadium lacks a synthetic track but we want to organise the state meet there to popularise athletics," Pathak added.

The National Games in Goa was originally schedule to be held in 2019 but got postponed due to the general elections. It was re-scheduled to October 2020 but the Covid pandemic played spoilsport. With Covid making a comeback in the country, the showpiece event might see yet another postponement.

Pathak, however, said they would like to prepare their athletes no matter when the Games are held.