AFI to hire foreign coaches for Arpinder and Tajinder

After the impressive showing at the recent Asian Games in Jakarta, the Athletics Federation of India is likely to appoint exclusive foreign coaches for some of its big stars soon.

“We will be hiring foreign coaches exclusively for triple jumper Arpinder Singh and shot putter Tajinder Pal Singh,” the AFI Secretary C. K. Valson said, after the federation’s Planning Committee meeting in Patiala.

Both Arpinder and Tajinder had won gold at the Asian Games.

Valson also said that the National camp for jumps, under Romanian Bedros Bedrosian, will be shifted from Thiruvananthapuram to Palakkad. This, the AFI feels, will help out the new long jump national record holder M. Sreeshankar.

V. Neena, the Asiad women’s long jump silver medallist, will also be moving to Palakkad with her husband Pinto Mathew.

The AFI also plans a tighter antidoping and noneedle policy under which athletes’ and coaches’ rooms and bags may be searched.

“There will be a committee to handle this. Even coaches can now search athletes’ bags,” said Valson.

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