NEW DELHI: It seems unlikely that India’s sprint cyclists will have their national camp at NIS Patiala. While the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) has tried to get approval, SAI has remained non-committal. In all likelihood, the cyclists will come back to Delhi once repair work at the Indira Gandhi Stadium velodrome is completed.
Two weeks ago, SAI was pressing ahead with plans to begin camps for multiple sports at the NIS campus. But with the entire boxing fiasco and a team doctor testing positive, all those plans seem to have been shelved. CFI officials tried to speak with SAI about conducting the camp, but there was no breakthrough. “We have been trying to push the case for our cyclists.
But it seems unlikely that Patiala will host the camp,” a senior CFI official told this newspaper. “Also, quarantine rules are strict. There is no point in bringing them to Patiala after what has happened there in the recent past.” The de-recognition issue has been haunting most NSFs, with no federation having the power to hold national camps. So CFI will now look to speak to SAI so that cyclists can return to Delhi and train here.
“Whatever protocols are there will have to be followed. We need SAI’s permission for the camp in Delhi. We have the best facilities here. Hopefully by end of August, sprint cyclists can finally begin proper preparations,” the official added. Even leading cyclists have been informed by the federation that travelling to Patiala is not on and that they will return to Delhi, where they usually train.
“We were informed that we might have to come to Delhi directly in August. Facility-wise, Delhi is much better. It is also a much safer bet compared to Patiala,” a sprint cyclist said. Cyclists in Manipur have slowly begun training at the velodrome in Imphal, while those in Andaman have started practising on roads.