CHENNAI: Another foreign athletics coach is set to go on leave during COVID-19. And this time, it is 400m coach Galina Bukharina who is expected to leave for the US on September 4 for almost a month. It is learnt that the 75-year-old is leaving because of medical reason involving her family in the US. She will return by October first week.
Galina would be the third foreign coach to leave India. Javelin throw German coach Klaus Bartonietz and lady physio Lidya Kinga were the first to leave in July followed by long jump coach Bedros Bedrosian last month.
Bedrosian had said he wanted to drop his wife, who is unwell, back home in Romania. Supposed to join camp in end of July, he is yet to return. Because of limited flights, return of coaches and support staff has been delayed. The protocols make it difficult for them as they have to spend at least 14 days in quarantine on return. Training has resumed in June.
Meanwhile, after much suspense over their contract extension, foreign coaches and support staff apparently got the nod of SAI. AFI president Adille Sumariwalla revealed to this daily on Saturday that the extensions have been given. Most of the coaches and support staff visas are set to expire by end of August and first week of September. According to AFI, this is part of their schedule. The calendar that has been postponed again is yet to be finalised. Apparently, the dates and venues of the proposed calendar need to be worked out.
Interestingly, some of the athletes have been asking AFI to allow them to take a short break, but because of the quarantine protocols and travel restrictions, they were not allowed, unless it’s an emergency.