AFI Reworks National Camp Plan for Athletes

AFI's new policy on training

- Avishek Roy

NEW DELHI: Indian athletics is entering uncharted territory. From this season, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) will do away with long-duration national camps — except for the relay teams — and allow athletes to train in centers of their choice — be it private academies, armed forces training centers or designated SAI centers.

The objective is to expand the base of top-level athletes while giving them the option to train closer to home. AFI will continue to monitor their progress, for which it has formed a team. The "decentralization of national camps" policy was cleared at the AFI AGM in Chandigarh on Tuesday and Wednesday. "We have given the (athletes) liberty to go and train at their centers — Army Sports Institute, Reliance Foundation, JSW, Tamil Nadu, Odisha state government centers, etc. Odisha has got foreign coaches, JSW has got foreign coaches. We are not forcing anybody to come to national camps.

That is the most important part of decentralization," outgoing AFI president Adille Sumariwalla said.