Panchkula: India’s track and field athletes will be looking to go all out at the Inter-State Athletics Championships to make the cut for the Paris Olympics. The competition starting at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium here on Thursday is the final qualification event before the June 30 cut-off date.

All eyes will be on the mixed relay team (4x400m) which will have to put its best foot forward to qualify. For that to happen, India, currently occupying the 22nd place in the Race-to-Paris rankings with a timing of 3:14.12 secs, will have to go past 16th placed Kenya (3:11.88 secs) and hope that no other team is able to topple them. The first 14 teams have directly qualified through the World Athletics Relays in Bahamas.

Only two spots are up for grabs though through rankings. Italy is placed 15th (3:10.69). At the Asian Relay Championships in May, the 4x400m mixed team of Muhammad Ajmal, Amoj Jacob, Jyothika Sri Dandi and Subha Venkatesan broke the national record to win gold, clocking 3:14.12.

“We are capable of running 3:11.00 and that’s going to be our target here. We’re hopeful of qualifying. Everyone in the relay team is looking forward to the race,” Amoj Jacob said.

The Athletics Federation of India has invited the Sri Lanka and Maldives quartets to participate in the race as it is a qualifying event for the Paris Olympics.

“We have invited Sri Lanka and Maldives for the mixed 4x400m relay race and we are hoping that our team can run below 3 minutes 11.87 seconds to qualify for the Olympics,” AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said.

“It may look difficult to run 3:11.87, but it’s not. We can do it if our runners run flat out. I am very hopeful of our mixed relay team booking a Paris berth. If they do, they will reach the final at the Olympics, you can take this from me. I also feel the mixed 4x400m relay will be the next big thing after the men’s longer relay, though many people may not agree with this.”

The men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams have already qualified for the Olympics.

AFI is expecting a squad of 30 to compete in Paris. Many athletes who are just outside the qualification berth in the Race-to-Paris rankings would need to produce a strong showing at this meet. There are some injury concerns as well.

In long jump Jeswin Aldrin, lying 32nd and in the last spot in world rankings, would be looking for a big jump to cement his place. High jumper Sarvesh Anil Kushare is currently 36th, which is four places off the qualification spot. The 29-year-old with a personal best of 2.27m will be keen to make the home conditions count.

Shot putter Tajinder Pal Singh Toor (25th in the rankings), currently within the qualification cut-off, is nursing an ankle injury and is doubtful for the meet.

Woman high hurdler Jyothi Yarraji also has fitness concerns, rebuilding after a hip flexor problem. The 100m hurdles national record holder came close to breaching the qualification standard when she clocked 12.78 secs at last month’s Motonet GP in Finland. The qualification standard is 12.77 secs.

Jyothi though is well placed in the rankings to qualify and would be looking to test her fitness.