BANGALORE: After hurling the spear to a distance of of 73.77 metres, Kashinath Naik of Karnataka let out a loud victory cry at the pit as the effort fetched him the gold in the javelin throw event of the senior national athletics championship. But soon the victory cry turned into a voice of frustration as he targeted the Athletics Federation of India.
But the AFI has a different take.
“The AFI is doing nothing to help javelin throwers. We have not been called for the National camp till now and they have not even appointed a good coach to help us,” Kashinath blared out loud and clear as reported in these columns on Tuesday.
“I am training on my own at the Army Sports Institute in Pune. I have to go to Brazil to take part in the world Military Games in July but I have no coach to guide me. If I have a good coach, I can do better,” said Kashinath, a Naik Subedar in the 69-Armoury Regiment. “If we have specialist foreign coaches like Yuri or Nikolai, our standards will improve,” said the just-married Sirsi man.
“Another problem is that all the camps are being held in Patiala.” “ We had suggested that at times camps could be held in Bangalore or Pune but all the camps for throwers have always been conducted in Punjab even in the thick of summer when it is very hot,” Kashinath added.
But the AFI had an entirely different view and even refuted Kashinath’s allegations. ML Dogra, the AFI’s Competition and Camp Director said that “javelin throw is not an identified sport for the Olympics for us”.
“All the same, camps are being held for javelin throwers regularly under good coaches. All javelin throwers are part of the development programme and as such they are in camps,” Dogra said.
“Javelin throwers are given coaching in preparation for the Asian championships, the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games etc.” “All efforts are being made to improve their performances. Kashinath himself was a bronze medal winner in the CWG javelin throw event,” Dogra pointed out.
“It is also wrong to say that camps are held only in Patiala. We have held camps in all parts of the country.” “ The availability of coaches is the first factor. Secondly, wherever we have got quality equipment and apparatus we have organised camps,” he added.
“Regarding coaches, we have foreign coaches for events where we feel we can do well or better at the Olympics and world meets. These coaches have helped us to very well in the Asiad and CWG. We have a planned approach and are not neglecting any event,” Dogra said.
“Dhillon coaches the javelin throwers and Bahadur Singh is the chief coach. Who better then them? If you are talking of a foreign coach, that’s different.”