NEW DELHI: The Cycling Federation of India’s (CFI) plan to conduct national camps in Patiala and Imphal for endurance and sprint cyclists has not got the go-ahead from state authorities. This is not the Sports Authority of India’s decision, but that of the state governments.
It is learnt that the guidelines issued by regional authorities are not in sync with those of the home ministry. Most cyclists are currently at home and the Punjab government does not want to take the risk of starting a camp with athletes coming from all over the country.
Light training has started at NIS Patiala, but that is only for those who have been inside the premises for the last few months.
“Nobody wants to take the risk. Patiala is a hotspot and our cyclists will have to come from their homes in Andaman, Maharashtra, Manipur. It is understandable, but we are still discussing with the Punjab government,” CFI chairman Onkar Singh told this daily.
Manipur is currently a green zone, but the sprint group consists of cyclists from Andaman as well. Reaching Imphal would require travelling through red zones such as Kolkata or New Delhi.
The state government does not want to take the risk. However, of the six sprint cyclists, four are from Manipur. The CFI is still in talks with the district as well as state authorities so that at least the likes of L Ronaldo Singh, Y Rojit Singh, Jemsh Singh and Rahul can train at Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal.
“We are still in talks so that the local cyclists who have been at home for a considerable amount of time can get permission. We are hopeful of getting a positive response by next week,” Singh added. The cyclists in Manipur have not been able to train due to strict lockdown regulations put in place by local authorities.