Indian 3000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable’s hopes for top-level international competition has got a boost with the event being included in the elite Diamond League circuit of World Athletics for the next season.
It will help Sable, 26, test himself against strong opposition in Europe as he builds up for next year’s Tokyo Olympics, his coach Amrish Kumar said.
After the pandemic forced many events to be removed from Diamond League, the circuit is expected to feature as many as 32 disciplines in the 2021 season. “Competing in the prestigious competition will give a big boost to his (Sable) confidence,” Kumar said from Sable’s training base in Bengaluru.
The Army runner broke the steeplechase national record twice at the 2019 Doha world athletics championships. He clocked 8 min, 21.37 secs in the final, coming 13th among 16 runners while going under the Tokyo Games qualification mark of 8:22.
His coach said: “Sable is running better than last year.”
Sable…