The Amateur Athletics Federation of India is trying to persuade athletics' ruling body to allow top Indian athletes to participate in the European Grand Prix circuit's invitational events.
AAFI vice-president Arun Banerjee said the unprecedented move is part of its multi-pronged Athens Olympics-oriented preparations.
"We are asking the International Association of Athletics Federations to let our top performers into the European invitational circuit in preparation of the Olympics. We will short-list candidates to be sent to compete in Europe," Banerjee said.
The AAFI will select those who do well in the junior South-Asian Federation Games and the double-tier Asian Track and Field meets.
Besides, established performers like long jumper Anju Bobby George, high jumper Bobby Aloysius, discus-throwers Neelam J Singh and Anil Kumar, heptathletes J J Shobha and Soma Biswas and sprinter Saraswati Saha virtually make the cut for the European exposure.
Banerjee said the decision on the European exposure was taken to ensure that top Indian athletes, who could do well with some self-confidence, did not feel intimidated at big international meets.
Once okayed by the IAAF, the selected Indian athletes will participate in "local European contests".
Besides the European rendezvous, the AAFI has also planned a 21-day training camp for its Olympics squad in Kiev, Ukraine.
"This is because a similar camp before the Busan Asian Games did us a lot of good," Banerjee said.
