AFI decides to redesign junior programme, provide more competitions

At
its
two-day
executive
council
meeting
here,
AFI
resolved
to
support
juniors
in
events
like
400m,
javelin
throw,
long
jump,
triple
jump
and
race
walking.

“We
want
our
juniors
athletes
to
have
strong
foundation
and
provide
them
more
competitions,”
AFI
president
Adille
Sumariwalla
told
reporters.
“It
will
be
a
boost
for
the
Junior
Programme
that
AFI
launched
three
decades
ago.
In
order
to
give
our
athletes
more
competition
in
the
preparatory
stage,
we
will
conduct
Zonal
level
meets.”

Stating
that
the
thrust
will
be
in
these
events,
the
AFI
president
said
that
the
council
had
also
decided
to
widen
the
talent
identification
process.

“Apart
from
our
flagship
National
Inter-District
Junior
Athletics
Meet,
which
is
the
world’s
largest
talent
search
programme,
we
will
go
the
extra
mile
and
identify
talent
out
of
competitions,”
he
said.

He
revealed
that
the
executive
council
had
reviewed
the
performance
of
the
athletes
and
coaches
in
the
Olympic
Games
and
made
some
decisions,
including
rope
in
two
new
coaches
for
javelin
throw
and
coaches
for
shot
put
and
long
jump.

AFI
Planning
Committee
chairman
Lalit
K
Bhanot
said
the
federation
had
carried
out
in-depth
analysis
of
the
performance
of
athletes
and
coaches
in
the
Olympic
Games.
“Neeraj
Chopra
was
consistent
and
deservedly
won
the
gold
medal.
Discus
thrower
Kamalpreet
did
well
despite
not
having
adequate
international
exposure.
She
is
capable
of
doing
much
better,”
he
said.

“The
men’s
relay
team
did
well
to
set
a
new
Asian
record,
though
it
had
the
capability
of
clocking
2
minutes
57
seconds.
The
squad
needed
higher
level
competition
in
the
run
up
to
the
Olympic
Games
but
the
second
wave
of
COVID-19
affected
our
plans.

“Steeplechaser
Avinash
Sable
created
a
national
record
despite
having
to
recover
from
COVID-19.
Lack
of
international
competitions
affected
our
performance,”
he
said.

“Our
coaches
will
work
with
the
foreign
coaches
who
have
the
latest
knowledge,”
he
said,
pointing
out
that
the
Federation
is
working
towards
raising
the
level
of
Indian
coaches.

The
AFI
president
also
said
the
federation
had
agreed
to
have
Tata
Steel
as
the
host
of
the
AFI
National
Open
Athletics
Championships
for
the
next
five
years
in
Jamshedpur.