BHUBANESWAR: If Athletics Federation of India’s ambitious plan materialises, elite athletes would be training at their home ground with personal coaches soon. At least those who are prospects for the 2020 Olympic Games. Often, athletes who join the national camp in Patiala find it difficult to adjust with the extreme weather conditions and food (usually north Indian) besides missing their personal coaches. Before the Commonwealth and Asian Games, the AFI had to struggle to convince athletes to join the camp in Patiala, sometimes even leading to unnecessary friction.
Just before Asian Games this time, the AFI had to conduct special trials on later dates for athletes who were training on their own. Keeping that in mind, the AFI is set to launch a plan wherein elite athletes can train at home with all facilities provided. Or chose a base where they would like to train.
Top sources in the AFI said they are awaiting confirmation on the financial front. Once that is done, select athletes will become part of this scheme and will aim for a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The rise of the likes of Neeraj Chopra, Muhammed Anas and Hima Das, to name a few, has prompted officials to think of this.
“We are focussed on 2020. Select athletes will be given all facilities like a gym and a foreign coach so that they can continue studies, eat home food and focus on the sport. It’s not like they won’t be part of the camp. What we are setting up are also like national camps, with more individual attention,” said sources.