India will seek to re-establish itself as a continental power in athletics when the 20th Asian Athletics Championships begin in Pune today.The bienniel Championship was opened by Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan at a glittering ceremony held at the sprawling Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune yesterday. The Chief Minister inaugurated the championship after a colourful march past of the athletes to the band of Maratha Light Infantry.Over 570 athletes from 43 countries out of 45 members in the Asian Athletics Association will be vying for honours in the five-day meet. Asian Games gold medallist Preeja Shreedharan took the oath on behalf of all the athletes, along with Commonwealth Games gold medallist Krishna Poonia who was the flag bearer of the Indian contingent.India is being represented by a record 107 athletes as it has the luxury of naming three participants in each of the 42 events (21 each for men and women). The event also assumes significance as the winners will get direct entry for the World Championships to be held in Moscow in August.The Asian showpiece event comes to the country for the second time after 1989 in New Delhi.The Indians are looking for a rich haul of medals with the aim of finishing second or third. The country is expecting around five gold and 15 medals in total.