The probables for the Indian athletics team for next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne would be sent abroad for training to prepare for the mega event.
"The Athletics Federation of India is planning to send the selected athletes for advanced training in Doha, Qatar and Melbourne, Australia," a top AFI source said on Friday.
The 45th National Open Athletics Championship at Gachibowli, near Hyderabad, from November 7 to 10 would serve as selection trials for the Games in the Australian city next March.
All leading Indian athletes will be in action during the four days of competition after which the probables will be selected.
"All the top athletes would be present at the meet as participation is mandatory and Anju Bobby George and P Anil Kumar, among other marquee names, have already confirmed their participation," secretary-general of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Lalit Bhanot said.
"All the top names are expected to be there, barring injury", he added.
Only Olympians J J Shobha and Sathi Geetha will be unable to compete because of injury.
The probables will leave for Doha next month and are expected to go to Melbourne in February after returning to the country for a few days.
Anju George is already scheduled to go to Melbourne in January for acclimatisation before the Commonwealth Games. Hence, the programme decided by the AFI would not clash with her personal preparation, the source informed.
The ace long jumper is also planning a short training stint in California before the major events start rolling.
The final contingent for the Commonwealth Games would be selected after the Federation Cup in February but 99 per cent of the squad would be decided out of the athletes taking part in the Open Nationals in Gachibowli, where about 700 athletes would be seen in action.
All states and institutional teams would send their athletes for the event, the biggest in the national athletics calendar.
Athletes undergoing training at various national camps at Patiala, Bangalore and Delhi are expected to reach Hyderabad on Saturday.
Terming the preparations for the Commonwealth Games as "good", Bhanot said the Federation plans to send its biggest ever contingent to Melbourne but declined to specify any figure, adding "it is too early to say".
"This time we are taking the Commonwealth Games very seriously and hope to register our best ever performance at the mega event," he added.
Regarding the disciplines where India could gain medals, Bhanot said, "it is difficult to say as there are four months to go for the Games."
An AFI source said the federation plans to send a squad of 15-20 athletes to Melbourne and is hoping for around eight medals.
"Women's long jump, heptathlon and sprint and hurdles relays are disciplines in which we can hope to achieve success," he said.
In the last edition of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002, India had sent a very small athletics contingent out of which Anju Bobby George and Neelam Jaswant Singh won medals.
