In a fast and significant development which might boost Indian athletics in the long run, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Tuesday signed an Expression of Intent (EoI) to set up a Centre of Excellence at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here.
The EoI, signed by IAAF President Sebastian Coe, SAI Director General Injeti Srinivas and AFI chief Adille Sumariwalla, would help set up a residential academy that will primarily focus on preparing athletes for the forthcoming IAAF youth and junior World championships, Youth Olympics Games and Olympic Games in 2020 and 2024.
While the SAI will fund the initiative and make available the necessary sports infrastructure, such as stadium, gymnasium, sports science backup and hostel facilities, the IAAF will provide specialists in sprints, jumps, heptathlon and decathlon etc. AFI, along with SAI, will assist in talent identification and management of the academy.
“In two-three months we will set up the academy,” said Srinivas.
The IAAF will also provide specialists who will visit the centre twice a year during athletics conditioning period and transition to competition period. They will share their expertise and knowledge with Indian coaches through seminars.
Srinivas said this was a rare opportunity to get the best practices to be adapted by our system for the betterment of athletics. Coe said India had all the ingredients, such as funding, infrastructure and talented athletes, to achieve success at the top level. “Coaching is an integral part of development of young athletes and IAAF will offer speciality in coaching for Level 1, 2 and 3 courses,” said Coe.
While acknowledging India’s potential in sports marketing, Coe said during his presidency he would like the country to grow and play an important role in the international family.
Coe, along with some of the well known Indian athletes such as World championship medallist long jumper Anju Bobby George, Olympian hurdler Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Olympian middle distance runners Sriram Singh and Shiny Wilson (nee Abraham), met several budding athletes at the Nehru Stadium and encouraged them to take up the sport.
“You can see these great athletes (of your country). If you do well and win medals at World championship or Olympics, you can also inspire many young athletes,” said Coe.
