Kathmandu, January 31:

Nepal Athletics Asscociation (NAA) denounced the ill-intension of some wicked persons working seriously for the development of the sport.

“A so-called athletics expert had filed complaint at the IAAF casting doubts over the records set by athletes in the 35th National Marathona and Half Marathon,” General Secretary of the NAA, Sushil Narsingh Rana. said. According to Rana, the person had claimed the distance was short and did not meet the international standards.

Nirmala Bharati had along with Krishneswori Sintakala and Bishnu Kafle had set a new national records in half marathon while Arjun Kumar Basnet had bettered his previous mark in marathon.

“If anybody had doubts, he should have checked himself before playing with the emotions and hard labour of the athletes,” Rana said.

Ninth SAF silver medallist Rajendra Bhandari said that the potential of Nepali runners had improved after Gunter Lange, director of Nepal-German Athletics Development Project, adopted scientific methods. Bharati requested not to humiliate their hard work by pulling them into controversies.

Lange said that Nepali track and field is improving. “I believe that the Nepali athletes are towards their best ever performance.”