New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS): The North Zone Athletics Meet, scheduled to commence from February 23 in nearby Meerut, has been postponed due to ongoing farmers' protest in the region, the Uttar Pradesh Athletics Association (UPAA), the organisers, said on Wednesday.

"We haven't got permission from the local administration to organise the competition," said UPAA secretary PK Srivastava.

"We are looking for an alternate venue. When it's finalised will update the Athletics Federation of India (AFI)," he said.

Apart from Uttar Pradesh, athletes from Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Haryana were to compete at the three-day event meant for junior athletes.

In January, the Assam Athletics Association had successfully conducted the East Zone competition at Guwahati.

The AFI wanted other zonal competitions to be organised to resume the track and field post the pandemic.

Some states like Haryana had recently conducted selection trials to pick their state teams for the zonal competition.

"Mostly beginners were present for the trials as several top athletes who recently participated in the 36th National Junior Athletics Championships in Guwahati didn't turn up," said a coach from Rohtak.