Let athletes train, urges Batra

New Delhi, May 2: Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra on Saturday said he will again request the government to allow national campers undergo outdoor training inside the country’s major sports centres during the lockdown.

Batra said the India Olmypic Association had earlier requested the government in this regard but was not successful in eliciting a positive response. Some athletes at the NIS-Patiala had also written to the Sports Ministry to allow outdoor training by observing government’s social distancing guidelines.

“We have made some efforts trying to convince MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) to allow the athletes to train outdoors with all the social distancing guidelines. The campers at the NIS, at Bengaluru SAI Centre and SAI Kolkata have not been able to have outdoor training,” Batra said.

“I don’t know whether they will be allowed in the next two weeks of lockdown. But I am once again trying on Sunday with the government,” he said while addressing onine the Special General Body Meeting of Athletics Federation of India.

He also offered his good offices to intervene on any issue relating to the extension of tenure of the coaches and High Performance Directors of various National Sports Federations. Batra even suggested the AFI to consider extending the contracts of the coaches till the 2022 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

We have made some efforts trying to convince MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) to allow the athletes to train outdoors with all the social distancing guidelines. The campers at the NIS, at Bengaluru SAI Centre and SAI Kolkata have not been able to have outdoor training.

— NARINDER BATRA

Indian Olmypic Association president