The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has unveiled a bold yet demanding strategy for the 2026 season, a year that will see two of the biggest multi-sport events the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Glasgow from July 23–August 2 and the Asian Games (AG) in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19–October 4 fall within just seven weeks of each other.
To navigate this unprecedented congestion, the AFI has instituted a dual selection policy, with the Federation Cup in May 2026 serving as the CWG selection trial, and the Inter-State Championships in July 2026 acting as the Asian Games qualifier. While the plan satisfies administrative mandates and aligns with the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) performance-based framework, it also poses a serious physiological and logistical challenge: forcing India’s top athletes to peak four times in just five months.
The decision, though pragmatic on paper, risks overloading elite athletes in a compressed season a dilemma that may test the limits of India’s growing high-performance system.
The AFI’s approach stems from a structural necessity. The MYAS guidelines for all multi-sport events including the CWG, AG, and Olympics stipulate that only athletes who have matched or exceeded the 6th-place performance from the last Asian Games (2023) in their respective events are eligible for selection. This standard ensures that only genuine medal contenders represent India on the global stage.
However, the tight turnaround between the CWG and AG makes it impossible to conduct a single unified trial. The CWG demands early submission of entries, while the Asian Games’ timing allows athletes a longer qualifying window. Hence, two distinct trials:
- May (Federation Cup): Selection trial for CWG.
- July (Inter-State Championships): Selection trial for Asian Games.
This split allows the AFI to comply with deadlines while giving athletes until July to meet the MYAS benchmark for the Asian Games. But this structure also introduces what sports scientists have dubbed the “Quadruple Peak Dilemma.”
The Quadruple Peak Dilemma: When Science and Scheduling Collide
Elite athletes typically plan their season around two major performance peaks, sometimes three, spaced across distinct mesocycles. The 2026 schedule, however, forces them into an exhausting sequence of four performance peaks:
- Federation Cup (May) – CWG selection trial.
- Inter-State Championships (July) – AG selection trial.
- Commonwealth Games (Late July–Early August) – major international competition.
- Asian Games (Late September–Early October) – the primary continental objective.
Between these events, recovery and reloading time are minimal. After the May trial, athletes must quickly rebuild training volume in June, then taper again for July, followed by two international competitions separated by only seven weeks.
The issue is especially critical for technical and power-based disciplines throws, jumps, and sprint events where explosive performance depends on precise neuromuscular adaptation cycles.
A closer look at the training calendar reveals the strain. After peaking in May, athletes typically require at least three to four weeks of recovery and base training to rebuild volume. But with the Inter-State Championships in early July, this reloading phase is truncated. The result is a compromised preparation window leading to potential acute-to-chronic workload imbalance a known precursor to soft-tissue injuries.
The risks intensify when this pattern extends into August, where athletes must maintain near-peak performance through the CWG before resetting again for the AG. Fatigue, accumulated stress, and reduced recovery margins heighten the likelihood of hamstring strains, stress fractures, and tendon injuries, especially in javelin throwers, jumpers, and sprinters.
For endurance athletes, the opposite challenge emerges insufficient base volume to sustain aerobic fitness through back-to-back competitions. Events like the 3000m steeplechase or 20km race walk, where training load cycles are longer, could see athletes underprepared by the time they reach Japan.
Applying the MYAS 6th-Place Standard: A Double-Edged Sword
The MYAS performance mandate has been instrumental in raising India’s competitive bar. By requiring athletes to equal or exceed the 6th-place result from the 2023 Asian Games, India ensures that its CWG and AG contingents are made up of credible medal prospects.
However, enforcing the same stringent benchmark for both CWG and AG selection trials also creates structural tension. For example, an athlete aiming for the CWG in May must already meet the Asian-level performance standard months before peaking at their true target event. This unified benchmark benefits India strategically, ensuring all selected athletes are of continental medal quality. Yet, it may inadvertently force premature peaking, particularly for those whose training cycles are geared toward late-season form.
Javelin Throw (Men’s)
The javelin remains India’s marquee event. With Neeraj Chopra (88.88m) and Kishore Jena (87.54m) setting the continental standard, the internal competition is fierce. Realistically, athletes will need to cross 85m at the May Federation Cup just to stay in contention a level of performance that’s hard to replicate four times in a season.
For Chopra, who plans his season around one or two global peaks, AFI must apply the MYAS discretionary clause to exempt him from unnecessary trials, ensuring his primary focus remains on the Asian Games and global championships.
Long Jump (Men’s)
The 6th-place Asian standard from 2023 stands at 7.61m well below the range of Murali Sreeshankar or Jeswin Aldrin, who regularly exceed 8m. Yet both have struggled with injury cycles linked to frequent competition loads. For such athletes, mandatory dual participation (May and July) could heighten re-injury risks.
Steeplechase and Distance Events
In the 3000m steeplechase, the 2023 benchmark (9:02.68) is easily within Avinash Sable’s range. But endurance athletes like Sable rely on controlled volume phases post-midseason. The tight July–September window could compromise his base reloading, risking suboptimal form at the Asian Games his true target event.
Managing the dual trial system also poses major logistical challenges. With the July Inter-State Championships concluding barely three weeks before the CWG begins, the AFI must finalize selections, fitness checks, and travel arrangements with precision. Any administrative delay could jeopardize team readiness for Glasgow.
Equally vital is the transparent use of discretionary exemptions. The AFI and SAI must protect Tier 1 athletes from excessive competition loads while ensuring fairness for emerging athletes. The proposed tiered selection framework offers a logical path:
| Tier | Category | Requirement | Example |
| Tier 1 | Elite medalists (World/Olympic/Asian Champions) | Exempt from both trials; mandatory fitness check only | Neeraj Chopra, Parul Chaudhary |
| Tier 2 | Established performers (top-6 Asian level) | Must compete in one trial (May or July) | Avinash Sable, Murali Sreeshankar |
| Tier 3 | Emerging athletes | Mandatory participation in both trials | U20 and National Open champions |
This model balances merit, recovery, and fairness preventing unnecessary trial overload while maintaining the integrity of selection.
A major constraint highlighted in the AFI’s analysis is the absence of personal support staff. Under MYAS policy, athletes are not permitted to travel with private coaches or physiotherapists unless officially part of the contingent. This restriction, manageable in normal seasons, becomes critical in a year like 2026 when individualized load monitoring and recovery planning are paramount. Without personalized attention, central staff may struggle to manage multiple athletes with vastly different physiological needs during a period of sustained peak stress.
The AFI’s technical committee has recommended a layered training model to minimize physiological stress:
- June: Prioritize recovery and volume restoration post-May trials.
- July: Use the Inter-State Championships as a controlled performance, not a full peak, for CWG-bound athletes.
- August: Treat CWG and the subsequent training block as an extended competition phase.
- September: Execute a long taper and peak exclusively for the Asian Games.
This approach, though unconventional, may allow athletes to sustain near-optimal form without risking complete performance entropy before the season’s final event.
If managed with transparency, tiered exemptions, and smarter training load distribution, the system could ensure that India fields its strongest, healthiest, and most competitive teams at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games. But if rigidly enforced without strategic flexibility, the Quadruple Peak Dilemma could turn a landmark season into one defined by injuries and missed opportunities.
The success of 2026 will depend less on selection trials and more on how India’s sporting authorities from AFI to MYAS balance performance precision with human endurance.
