The Athletics Federation of India has decided to lay emphasis on 11 select events where India has the potential to perform well in world meets by arranging for regular foreign exposure trips and top-class training under renowned coaches for chosen athletes.

The events have been chosen with the potential of particular athletes participating in them kept in view, AFI secretary Lalit Bhanot told reporters in Jamshedpur on Saturday.

The events for the programme slated to begin from next year include the 4x400m relay (both men and women), 800m (men and women), 1500m (women), discus (men and women), long jump (women), heptathlon, high jump (women) and shotput (men). 

"We will not only arrange for more exposure for them at the national level but also send them to Europe for training under world-class foreign coaches," Bhanot said. "We will also ensure that they participate in five to seven top-class competitions, including the various world meets and the Grand Prix.

"So far, we were laying emphasis on overall development of the country's athletics standard. Now, we'll shift focus from the Asian to the world stage."

Bhanot said the squad for the Asian Track and Field meet to be held in Manila, the Philippines, from September 20 to 23 would comprise 40 athletes.

He said Busan Asian Games 200m gold medallist Saraswati Saha would henceforth concentrate on the 400m.

Bhanot said the AFI has formed expert committees for spotting and honing the skills of talented junior athletes. "We have written to the government so that foreign coaches can be provided to them," he said. "This will help to address their problem areas at the junior level itself and make them strong technically."

Bhanot said that if the government did not give the go-ahead, the AFI would conduct the programme on its own.

Asked whether coaches would be mostly from Russia, he said, "Maybe. The Russian coaches are good and also suit us the most because of our economic constraints."

He said the AFI is constantly monitoring the problem of overage participants in age group meets. "Because we are vigilant, this problem has now come down," he said.

Describing doping as a worldwide phenomenon, Bhanot said the AFI would intensify its efforts to prevent any recurrence of the doping controversy of the Hyderabad National Games last year. "It's a regular process," he said. "We will also conduct awareness progammes for junior athletes by holding seminars and other educative sessions."