Indian athletics team to train at three overseas sites for final Olympics preparation

The 30-member Indian athletics team for the Olympics will train at three different venues abroad in their last leg of preparations before assembling in Paris on July 28, four days before the start of track and field competitions.

The Olympic Sports Center in Spala, Poland; Antalya in Turkey; and St. Moritz in Switzerland are the three foreign destinations where Indian athletes will train in their last leg of preparations.

“The members of the national athletics team will be training at different venues to prepare for the Olympic Games, but will have to assemble in Paris on July 28,” chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair said.

Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will be based in Antalya in Turkey.

“He (Chopra) has already reached Turkey and will reach Paris on July 28,” Nair said.

The Indian athletics team grew to 30 members with the addition of long jumper Jeswin Aldrin and 500m runner Ankita Dhyani, based on their rankings in the World Athletics Road to Paris system.

Four race walkers – Akshdeep Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bisht, Vikash Singh, Suraj Panwar – and triple jumper Abdulla Aboobacker are currently based at Sports Authority of India center in Bengaluru, while Avinash Sable and Parul Chaudhary will train in St. Moritz in Switzerland.

“Sable and Parul will join the group of athletes in Poland on July 24 and then go to Paris,” Nair said.

“Ankita (5,000m) is currently based out of Bengaluru.”

All the members of the 4x400m relay team (men and women) will leave for Poland on Thursday.

Four athletes – Kishore Kumar Jena (javelin), Jyothi Yarraji (100m hurdles), Jeswin Aldrin (long jump) and Praveen Chithravel (triple jump) – reached Poland earlier this week.

“Annu Rani (javelin), Tajinderpal Singh Toor (shot put) and Abha Khatua (shot put) will also leave for Poland on Thursday,” the chief coach added.