New Delhi: With the 2016 Olympic Games looming in August, the core probables of Indian Athletics for the mega event will be training at Spala’s Olympics Training Centre from May 9 onwards. This is the first time that a contingent of more than 40 Indian athletes will be undergoing training at the world-class centre in Poland.
These elite athletes are part of the National camp for men and women in the 400m, 400m hurdles and both the quarter-mile relays, seven javelin throwers including both men and women, and the race walkers who have already qualified for Rio in the men’s and women’s 20km and men’s 50 km respectively. The first batch of Spala-bound athletes comprising of the 400m elite athletes and the javelin prospects are scheduled to reach Spala from here on May 9; while the race walkers are expected to join them from Rome, where they will be participating in the IAAF Race Walk World Championships from May 7-8, 2016.
On this occasion, the Athletics Federation of India Secretary General Mr C.K. Valson, said, “We are thankful to His Excellency, the Ambassador of Poland in New Delhi, Mr Tomasz Lukaszuk for his support. Spala’s salubrious climate and natural forest provides a rare atmosphere for world-class athletes to train towards their goals. It’s for the first time that we are sending a big contingent of Indian athletes to train in Spala. It will serve as training base for all the three groups, with the race walkers planning to train there right up to August 4, while the 400m campers and javelin throwers will be travelling to other countries in the region to compete in Olympics qualification competitions. I also wish to thank the Sports Authority of India and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, for supporting the training and competition programme of the Olympics hopefuls.”
On this occasion, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in New Delhi, Mr Tomasz Lukaszuk, said, “Poland and India share a rich history and tradition of bilateral co-operation in the field of business, art and culture and we are pleased to extend this relation to sports. I extend a hearty congratulation to the Athletics Federation of India for their endeavour for the Indian athletes. I also take this opportunity to wish ‘powodzonia’ (good luck) to India’s elite athletes in the 400m women’s relay who are the reigning Asian Games champion and record holder and other star athletes in 400 metres, the Indian race walkers who have already qualified for Rio Olympic Games and the promising team of javelin throwers. I hope their training in Spala helps them achieve their goal and may they bring glory to Indian Athletics. I also look forward to more cooperation between Poland and India in the field of sports in the future.”
