Chandigarh, Apr 18 (PTI) The national race walking competition begins here from Saturday, providing a good platform to the participants to earn berths in the Asian Athletics Championships and the Worlds.

Two-time Olympian and national record holder, Priyanka Goswami, will look to dominate the women’s 20km event at the picturesque Sukhna Lake. The competition has attracted more than 200 athletes from across the country.

Priyanka’s main focus will be to achieve the May 27-31 Asian Athletics Championships qualification time of 1:32:00 set by Athletics Federation of India in the women’s 20km event.

“I’m fit and should be able to clock a good time tomorrow,” the 29-year-old national record holder said.

Priyanka’s personal best and national record in women’s 20km is 1:28:45 recorded in 2021 in Ranchi.

In March, she also improved the national women’s 35km race walk record to 2:56.34 in Slovakia.

The women’s 20km event has attracted 20 athletes. The men’s 20 km race walk will witness 46 elite runners, and the majority of them are from the Indian Army.

The qualification time for the Asian meet in the men’s 20km event is 1:24:00.

Paris Olympian Akshdeep Singh and Paramjeet Singh Bisht are considered main contenders for the podium finish in the men’s 20km race walk.

Akshdeep holds the men’s 20km national record of 1:19:55 clocked in 2023 in Ranchi. The Punjab race walker exuded confidence and said, “The route is good and I’m expecting a good time on Saturday.” The men’s 35km event has attracted a big group of 14 athletes from the Indian Army. Army’s international race walker Ram Baboo will spearhead the challenge.

The gruelling 35km race walk in the women’s group has attracted 11 athletes, and the main contenders will be Manju Rani, Ramandeep Kaur and Payal.

The World Athletics Championships qualification time in men’s 20km race walk is 1:19:20. PTI AH UNG