CHENNAI: It's a critical period for Paris-bound athletes from the country. The standard of training in the next few months or so could prove to be the difference between a rare medal at the Olympics or an average outing.
That's the case with four pugilists — Nikhat Zareen, Parveen Hooda, Preeti Sai Panwar and Lovlina Borgohain — who have been working behind the scenes ever since they secured quotas last year. In a bid to raise their game, the four are now in Turkey after getting funded through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) officially announced the development on Wednesday.
It's a welcome move as the four pugilists, who reportedly left on Tuesday along with two coaches and a physio, are likely to get a chance to spar with foreign athletes. Though they had been training in Patiala with other boxers, the elite boxers will attest that it's always a welcome boost to train in a different environment. For boxers who bank on marginal improvements on a day-to-day basis, they also get to assess their growth.
Prior to this tour, which is expected to be 10 days or so, the four Indians had been part of the training camp at Budva, Montenegro from February 14 to 28 earlier this year. Just before that, Nikhat, Preeti and Lovlina had taken part in the 75th Strandja Cup in Bulgaria, which was held from February 1 to 12th.
This continuous process of activity is designed to keep them rust-free and nourish them in the long run.
In fact, Preeti, after the completion of the training in Turkey, is expected to take part in the U-22 Asian Championships, scheduled to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from April 27 to May 7. Preeti's uncle and basic coach, Vinod Kumar, revealed the same.
"Preeti is doing alright and she has already departed for Turkey. She's highly motivated and looking to train well. Her attitude is on point," he said.
Preeti is the youngest of the lot and is someone who has caught the attention of many with her prowess inside the ring. "We had been focussing on her speed, improve her foot movement," Vinod noted.
With a fair amount of uncertainty surrounding the rest of the boxing unit, Nikhat & Co will be looking to bring some assuredness by following their plans to the T and lifting India's hopes ahead of the Games.
Sports ministry's backing
The sports ministry also approved a training camp in Russia for wrestlers — Sujeet (65kg), Deepak Punia (86kg) and Naveen (74kg) — who are bound for the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament in April.
Some other elite athletes were also funded to travel and train/compete abroad in their respective sports.