Tag: Athletics

  • Neeraj Chopra impact: Tokyo gold sparks admission rush at sport schools

    By Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH, LUCKNOW, BHOPAL,RANCHI: Naseem Ahmed is flooded with calls. He is an athletics coach. Neeraj Chopra was under his tutelage at Haryana’s Panchkula Stadium.

    The javelin thrower’s gold medal at Tokyo Olympics has sparked a sudden interest in athletics. Parents are calling up Ahmed and asking how to enrol their children at the training centre.

    “In the last week, after Neeraj qualified for the final, there have been around 100 requests. It increased after he won gold. This morning, we received around 50 requests from parents. A majority of them are for javelin. Some said they want their children to take up any track and field event. Most of them are from rural areas. There is a sudden surge in enthusiasm for athletics,” said Ahmed.

    It is the same at Lucknow’s KD Singh Babu Stadium which houses an athletics training centre, Surjit Hockey Academy in Jalandhar, MP Women’s Hockey Academy in Gwalior, Women’s Hockey Academy in Ajmer and Girls Hockey Training Centre in Jharkhand’s Simdega.

    Wrestling akhadas are also reporting a rise in admission enquiries. Even though Indians did not win medals in shooting and archery, these sports are also drawing attention.

    “My phone has been ringing continuously. Everyone wants their children to be an athlete, which is a very good sign for Indian athletics,” says VR Varun, secretary of Lucknow Athletics Association.

    Budding athletes reside in the hostels of KD Singh Babu Stadium.

    Since Saturday when Neeraj claimed gold, there have been numerous calls for information on admission in javelin throw and other track and field events.

    Jharkhand is home to Salima Tete, a member of the Indian women’s hockey team which finished fourth in Tokyo.

    Coach Pratima Barwa, who honed her skills in the formative years, is receiving lots of calls from people asking how their daughters can become hockey players.

    “Since it is the sowing season and most of the children playing hockey belong to rural backgrounds, no fresh admissions are taking place now. Once the sowing season is over, there will be a rush for admissions,” said Barwa.

    Gwalior’s MP Women’s Hockey Academy has produced Sushila Chanu, Monika and Reena Khokhar, who were part of the Olympic team. Coach Paramjeet Singh notices a new trend in the enquiries.

    “Earlier, girls mostly from poor families or families with some sports connection came to us. In the last few days, affluent families from MP and other states approached us. A teacher couple from Punjab, a doctor couple from Indore and a businessman from UP want their daughters to join us.”

    Vishwajit Shinde, who runs Savarkar Rifle Club in Mumbai’s Dadar, is witnessing the same.

    “There is a big rise. In the last few days, we got about 100 inquiries and 46 registrations. We never saw such numbers in an entire year.”

    Subhas Nair trains archers at Mumbai’s Dhanushree Sport. From eight, the number of students under him has gone up to 80 in just a few days.

    In urban India, sports mostly means cricket. Thanks to the Olympic success, that seems to be changing. Shivraj Singh of Jaipur is the director of Digital Sales IRA, which has tie-ups with 36 sports companies.

    They connect youth willing to take up sports to various academies. “I used to fill up forms of cricket academies.

    Now athletics, football, hockey, weightlifting and wrestling are in demand. It is good that they like sports other than cricket and believe a career can be made.”

    Inputs from Rajesh Asnani (Jaipur), Sudhir Suryawanshi (Mumbai), Harpreet Bajwa, Namita Bajpai, Anuraag Singh, Mukesh Ranjan 

  • Application for admission to Sports Academy by 17 February

    In the meeting of the District Level Selection Committee for the selection of sportspersons of Athletics, Hockey, and Archery for admission to the Sports Academy, it was decided that the selection process of Hockey and Archery in Bemetara District, February 18, at HRD Prangan Jeevara The selection process for Co and Athletics will be held at Alans Public School Bemetra on 19 February. Players of age group 09 to 17 years will be taken motor test and skill test for admission in the academy, in which selected players will participate in the state level selection process on the basis of efficiency. Last date for application is 17 February till 5 pm, District Sports Officer, Mr. Nageshwar Tiwari, Mo. 9131908515, 7697113706, Mr. Amol Singh Salam Assistant Grade-3, 7987795278, Mr. Mrityajay Sharma Exercise Teacher Jevra 9098614009, Mr. Arun Pal Exercise Teacher English Medium School Pickery, Mon. You can register by contacting 7987517172. After the above procedure, free food, education, sports apparel, accident insurance and training facility will be provided to the selected players by the government.

  • National Junior Athletics play team leaves

    The 36th National Junior Athletics is held in Assam Guwahati from 6 to 10 February. For this, the Chhattisgarh athletics team left from Raipur on Tuesday. Earlier, track shoot, shoe t-shirt, bag kit were distributed to the Chhattisgarh Athletics team player, coach manager at Chhattisgarh Olympic Association building Raipur. Prior to the team departure, the senior player gave close tips. Dialogue with each player was established and their morale was boosted. The coach and the manager of the team and claimed that the team would win and win. The name of the state will come to light.

    The program included Chhattisgarh Olympic Association General Secretary Gurcharan Singh Hora, Olympic Association Vice President and President Chhattisgarh Athletics Association GS Bombra, Olympic Association Vice President Kailas Muraraka, Chhattisgarh Athletics Association General Secretary Radhakrishnan Pillai, Vice President Ravidnagar, Sharad Parkar, General Manager Hriday Nand Sahu, Aditya Bilra, Coach Shahnaz Bano was involved.