The National Inter-State Championships beginning in Panchkula on Thursday will present one final opportunity for some of India’s top track and field athletes to vie for Paris Olympics berths. The championships serve as the final qualifying event for the upcoming Paris Games where the athletics events begin on August 1.

As such, all eyes will be pinned on the likes of women’s 100m hurdler Jyothi Yarraji, javelin throwers Annu Rani and DP Manu, long jumper Jeswin Aldrin, and triple jumpers Praveen Chitravel and Abdulla Aboobacker, trying to book their tickets through world ranking quota.

Co-incidentally, the final day of the four-day championships — June 30, also coincides with the Olympics qualifying window deadline. The championships is a mandatory event for athletes hoping to get selected in the Paris-bound contingent, and thus promises to be a star-studded affair at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula.

According to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) rules, all athletes will have to participate in the National Inter-State Championships if they have to get selected for major multi-sport events like the Olympics, Asian Games or the Commonwealth Games, unless the federation gives exemption on the request of particular athletes or their coaches.

In this case, reigning Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra has been exempted by the AFI considering the fact that there is only a few days gap before the Paris Diamond League on July 7, in which he is set to compete. Chopra had competed in the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar last month, winning a gold.

Race walking has been excluded from the inter-state meet due to the anticipated hot and humid conditions in Panchkula. According to the AFI, race walkers, who qualified for the Paris Olympics are seeking additional recovery time following the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships held in Antalya on April 21.

Some of the top names including Avinash Sable (men’s 3000m steeplechase), Kishore Jena (men’s javelin throw) and Parul Chaudhary (women’s 3000m steeplechase) — all of whom have booked Paris Games berths by breaching the qualifying standards — will headline the championships.

Meanwhile, Asian record holder shot-putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor, who is currently nursing an ankle pain is a doubtful starter although his name featured in the updated entry list of the AFI.

The championships will witness thrilling action unfolding in the sprint event as rising star Animesh Kujur will be keen to renew his rivalry with national record holder Manikanta Hoblidhar in the 100m dash, along with the likes of more established names like Amlan Borgohain and Gurindervir Singh, although none of them are likely to make it to Paris. Federation Cup 200m gold medallist Kujur will also be up against national record holder Borgohain in another duel.

The event will witness participation of a few athletes from Sri Lanka and Maldives.