Next 3-4 years there will be big difference in Indian cycling: Foreign coach Sireau
India has no dearth of talent in cycling and the years leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will see a marked improvement in performance, including podium finishes in major international competitions, said the country’s French coach Kevin Sireau on Thursday.
The Cycling Federation of India (CFI) had roped in two-time Olympic medallist Sireau as head coach in January to chart the roadmap for the 2028 Olympics and the Frenchman is confident his wards will do well in the World Championships in October.
“This year our target is the World Championships in October. We are driving all energies in that direction. I have discussed the roadmap for LA 2028 with CFI and doing things step by step. In the next three to four years you will see a big difference,” said Sireau, the two-time silver medallist in the ‘Team Sprint’ event in 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games.
Sireau said there are no shortcuts to achieving Olympic glory, and the likes of L Ronaldo Singh, and Y Rojit Singh among others will have to put in extra effort to achieve their goals.
“In a big country like India, I believe we have many future talents. Right now, I train only sprint riders. I oversee the progress of riders like Ronaldo, Rojit and David (Beckham).
“These guys have just started by winning the junior worlds. Now they are in the senior category and if they have to finish on the Olympic podium, a very high level has to be achieved.
“But I am confident they have the skills and talent to finish on the podium. Extra hard work is required. We also have some good juniors like Sarita Kumari and Wattaba Meitei, who are Indian cycling’s future stars,” Sireau told SAI Media.
The likes of Esow Alben, Y Rojit Singh, Ronaldo and David have shown improvement, with the quartet clocking its personal best of 44.451 seconds at the Asian Track Cycling Championship sprint race in February.
This was after the country’s cyclists clocked 45.692 at the UCI World Track Cycling Championships last year where India finished 17th.
While India is nowhere close to the Olympic record and gold-medal timing of 41.369 clocked by the Dutch team of Jeffrey Hoogland, Harrie Lavreysen and Roy van den Berg in Tokyo three years ago, they are not too far behind Australia’s timing of 44.013 seconds, which earned them a fourth-place finish in the last Games.
India’s performance has also seen a marked improvement in recent years with the quartet of Esow, Ronaldo, Rojit and Jemsh Singh winning a historic men’s team sprint gold at the 2019 World Junior Track Cycling Championship in Frankfurt.
Three years later, at the Asian Track Cycling Championship in Malaysia, Ronaldo became the first Indian to win an individual silver medal in the men’s sprint race.
India finished with nine gold, six silver and three bronze medals at the Asian Track Cycling Championship for both able-bodied and special cyclists held here in February this year, although a Paris Olympics berth eluded them.
India is not only the Asian champion but has been a junior world champion in the sprint category.
“From 149th rank to Category 1 in juniors in four years’ time, speaks for itself. We won all the four sprinting events in junior class in Asia, a record that won’t be broken anytime soon,” said Asian Cycling Confederation secretary-general Onkar Singh, adding, “We are lucky to have a person like Kevin.” Rojit, who is supported by the sports ministry’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme, said Sireau has been a great addition.
“There has been a lot of difference since Kevin sir joined the team. He has changed how we train, what we eat and how we plan recovery. He has brought a new discipline and I am very happy for being able to learn from him,” said Rojit.