New Delhi: As part of its overall strategy and preparation for the Rio 2016 Olympics, a 22-member Indian athletics squad will leave here early tomorrow morning for a 70-day training stint at the salubrious, state-of-the-art training centre at Antalya, Turkey.

The squad comprises of the National campers for quarter-mile event, 400m hurdles, and the 4x400m relay events for both men and women. A total of eight women, nine men and five coaches and support staff are part of the squad, with two more support staff and other athletes expected to join the Antalya training camp in a fortnight’s time.

On this occasion, the AFI President & IAAF Council Member, Adille J. Sumariwalla said, “The AFI will strive to do everything under its limit to provide the best training facilities to our athletes for 2016 Olympics. The training centre in Antalya in Turkey offers the right combination of climatic conditions, namely, sea, land, hills and forest areas, and also a synthetic hill track for the training of our athletes. We hope these world-class training conditions will make a difference to the preparation of our athletes for Rio and I extend my best wishes to all of them. I’m also grateful to the Sports Authority of India and the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for supporting our athletes.”

The Antalya stint is expected to help the preparation for 2016 Olympics for the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay and also boost the chances of Indian athletes in individual events, in the women’s and men’s 400m and 400m hurdles.
The 4x400m women’s relay squad is the reigning Asian Games champion and Asian Games record-holder while the men’s 4x400m relay team has won a medal in the past at the Asian Games. In the men’s and women’s 400m individual event, Rajiv Arokia and M.R. Poovamma won the bronze medal in the 2014 Asian Games respectively, and recently, the duo come close to qualifying for the 2016 Olympics. Star athlete Ashwini Akunji had won two Gold medals in the 2010 Asian Games, including one for the women’s 400m hurdles race.