Medals in sight, says athletics coach
Nikolai Snesarev is confident of another successful outing in this years Asian Games
By : ajeyo basu
Update: 2014-09-05 01:32 GMT
Delhi: Having helped Indian long distance athletes achieve their best ever performance at the 2010 Asian Games, coach Nikolai Snesarev is all geared up for another successful outing at the upcoming edition in Incheon, South Korea.Indian long distance runners notched up a tally of two gold, two silver and a bronze medal at the Guanzhou Asiad four years ago. Snesarev, who left India in 2011 only to be reappointed by the Athletics Federation of India earlier this year.
“During my previous tenure, I had spent almost five years in preparation for 2010 Asian Games. But this time, I only got to spend around five and a half months with them. It is too short a time,” Snesarev told this paper ahead of the squad’s departure for South Korea on Thursday.“It will be difficult to match our performance of 2010, but I am confident that all the athletes will clock their best performances at the Asian Games,” he added.
Snesarev, who had a showdown with Indian officials towards the later stages of his previous stint, remarked that the support from the AFI and the sports ministry was better this time round.“The fact that we trained in Conoor , which is at high altitude with a cool climate and less humidity, also helped us to prepare better,” he remarked.
The veteran coach felt that Sudha Singh, who will be defending her title, in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, will be the one to watch out for . “Sudha will surprise everyone. She has been doing really well and could win the gold in Incheon,” he said,