I was not unwell, coach told me not to take part, says Khushbir
NEW DELHI: Axed from the Indian team for the Asian Championships for pulling out of the nationals here, top woman 20km race walker Khushbir Kaur said on Sunday that she had to suffer for no fault of hers as it was coach Alexander Artsybashev who told her not to take part in the event.
Khushbir and top men’s 20km race walker Manish Singh Rawat were axed from the team for the Asian Race Walking Championships to be held on March 20 in Nomi, Japan, after they pulled out of the nationals here on Saturday at the last minute.
Khushbir and Rawat’s names were there in the starting list but they chose not to take part in the event, which enraged the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) bosses who had directed all the athletes to take part in the championships.
The Russia-born Artsybashev, who is set to be shown the door after the Asian Championships, told reporters that Khushbir and Rawat were not well and had fever, so they had to skip the nationals.
Contrary to his claim, Khushbir and Rawat said that they were fit but gave different reasons why they pulled out of the nationals without informing the AFI.
“It is not my duty to inform the AFI. The coach is there for it. We have been training under a coach and please tell me whether I should listen to my coach or the AFI. He (Artsybashev) told me not to take part in the nationals,” Khushbir said from her training base in Bengaluru.
“I was not unwell. But he (Artsybashev) told me I will be given direct entry by the AFI for the Asian Championships and there was no need to take part in the nationals.”
National record holder Khushbir, who won silver in the
2014 Asian Games, said she had to suffer for no fault of hers but still appealed to the AFI to allow her to participate in the Asian Championships as she can win a medal.
“Whosoever is at fault, whether my coach or the AFI, I want to ask why I should suffer for no fault of mine? The matter should have been sorted out between the coach and the AFI. Is it wrong to believe what my coach said (that she will get a direct entry for the Asian Championships)” she asked.