Coaching camp for State Athletics Team for the upcoming 3rd Northeast Olympic Games (NOEG) has started at Indira Gandhi Stadium Kohima with top coaches from the country assigned for the training. (Photo Courtesy: Nagaland Athletics)
Kohima, February 28 (MExN): The Coaching camp for State Athletics Team for the upcoming 3rd Northeast Olympic Games (NOEG) has started at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima with top coaches from the country assigned for the high performance training.
In a press release, the Nagaland Athletics (NA) informed that the athletes for the camp were selected based on their performance during the Nagaland Olympic & Paralympic Games2024.
They are being trained by top coaches from India deputed by Athletic Federation of India (AFI) for Nagaland State team, it said.
It is part of AFI’s policy to develop sports and athletics in the region in line with the Government of India’s agenda of giving priority to the North- East, it added.
As per the profiles of the provided by NA, one of them is IA Shivanand, the coach for Middle and Long Distance, who has represented India 14 times in international events and won gold in 5000M Asian Championship and Silver medal in Asian Championship in 3000M. He has a record of 26 gold, 18 silver and 14 bronze medals in the National level competition.
Shivanand was also the coach appointed by AFI for Nagaland team during the South Asia Cross Country Championship and 56th National Cross Country Championship held in Nagaland, where State women team secured the silver medal, the NA informed.
A former coach for Maldives team, presently, he is serving as the Athletic Coach in the Indian Railways Department.
For Throws, . Om Prakash Karhana, an Olympian and former Indian National record holder in Shot Put, is guiding the athletes.
He secured Gold medal in Asian Championship Guangzhou 2010 and he has also represented India in Asian Champion 2009, Asian Indoor Champion 2014, Delhi 2010, Glasgow 2014, Incheon 2014, the NA said.
A World Athletics level 2 certified coach, he has produced athlete like Manpreet Kaur who won the bronze medal in Asian Athletics Championship Bangkok, it added.
Karhana is presently the member of Athlete Commission under the Indian Olympic Association and working under ONGC.
Meanwhile, the coach for Sprints & Hurdle is Deepak Dhillon, a former national level sports person.
He is a World Athletics level 2 certified coach and has produced athlete like Prachi who won the silver medal in Asian games, the NA said. Presently, Dhillon is serving as Athletic Coach at Delhi Sports University.
Meanwhile, the NA has also expressed gratitude to Dr Lalit Bhanot, Chairman of AFI Planning Committee and Dr Adille Sumariwala, President AFI for their constant support to Nagaland and North-East.
