Indian athletes in hectic schedule for Beijing Olympics

Patiala, Jan 16 (UNI) A hectic schedule is ahead of the Indian athletes before their participation in Beijing Olympics this August.

Fourteen Indian athletes are currently training in Oman --- six women and five men sprinters (400m), J J Shobha (Combined events), P J Vinod (Decathlon) and Seema Antil (Discus). Four foreign coaches and two Indian coaches, Ranbir Sidhu (400m women) and Sanjay Garnaik (Combined events), Recovery expert, Dr Pedrovenko and a foreign masseuse, Ina, have accompanied the athletes to Oman.

The athletes who left for Oman on January 7, will train for five weeks in Oman, and thereafter will participate in the Asian Indoor Athletic Championsahip slated for February 15, 16 and 17 in Doha.

After the meet, the athletes will return to India to attend an intensive training camp at the NIS here till April 12. Thereafter, the athletes will leave for Ukraine for a short camp from April 14 to May 31. They will return to India after the camp for another rigorous training camp-cum-competition from June 2 to July 1 either at Patiala or Bangalore. In between, they will participate in three Grand Prix Athletic meet as follows: June 23 at Bangkok, June 26 at Korat (Thailand) and June 30 at Hanoi (Vietnam).

The athletes will also participate in the Inter-State Athletic meet from June 9 to 12 at Chennai/Coimbatore. The athletes will again go to Ukraine for training from July 3 to August 1 to finally prepare for Beijing Olympics.

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