CHENNAI: Two months after the announcement was made, kayakers and canoers from the country will assemble in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on Friday for the national camp.
Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association (IKCA) informed that the camp will begin at Dal Lake on Saturday and continue till March 31.
The camp is being organised to select a team for the Asian Olympic qualifiers scheduled in Pattaya, Thailand, from May 5 to 7. The campers were shortlisted following selection trials in Bhopal which was held from December 28 to 30.
"We had planned to start the camp in January but heavy snowfall in the valley delayed our programme," Prashant Kushwaha, IKCA secretary-general, told this daily.
"As many as 28 kayakers and canoers were selected in both the men's and women's categories for the camp. We are thankful to sports minister Kiren Rijiju for making this possible. The government's initiative has given our athletes an opportunity to train at Dal Lake after around a decade," he added.
Earlier, the Asian qualifier was scheduled from March 14 to 17 at the same venue but got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"The camp will continue even after March 31. The association will assess the situation and decide on the venue," said Pijush Baroi, one of the coaches named for the camp.
Baroi informed that the association has optional venues in mind if it decides to shift the venue. Earlier in January, the parent body had suggested alternate venues like Ranjit Sagar Dam in Jammu's Kathua, Lower Lake in Bhopal and Bilawali Lake in Indore to the Sports Authority of India.
Apart from Baroi, two coaches — Digvijay Singh and Nazis Mansoori — a physiotherapist and a masseur have also been named for the camp.
Speaking on the chances of Indian athletes in the qualifying event, the coach said, "We expect good results in K2 and C1 events in men's category. Similarly, there is a lot of expectations from the C2 team in the women's category as well."
The performance of the players will be assessed during the camp and if needed, selection trials will be organised to pick a final team for Thailand even