JOIN USKorean coach for India's archers
Left in a limbo after the Sports Ministry’s decision to derecognise Archery Association of India last month, the country’s top archers on Thursday got a shot in the arm after the government decided to appoint Korean coach Lim Chae Woong for the recurve team.
“We have worked out on future plan for the archers and were informed that they would be starting their training by the end of this month. Initially, the training will be held in Pune. We have decided on appointing Korean coach, Lim Chae Woong,” sports secretary PK Deb told PTI after he met the archers at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here.
Deb held a meeting with country’s top archers, including Dola Banerjee, Rahul Banerjee, Bombayla Devi and Tarundeep Rai and addressed their concerns, which they had been airing for the past few days. Woong has been roped in by the Indian army to train their archers. “Till the time, he (Woong) is employed with the Indian Army, he can train the archers,” Deb said.
Olympian Rahul Banerjee, who was present at the meeting seemed satisfied with the developments. “The ministry has promised to directly provide us with the funds for our equipments unlike earlier times when funds were routed through the AAI,” Rahul stated.
Stating that the discussion went off well with the Ministry also deciding to appoint a coach for the archers, Deb said, “The six-member Indian archery team had complained after the event that they were not satisfied with the training methods adopted by the then chief coach Limba Ram, whose contract expired at the end of the Olympics.”
IABF ready for change
The suspended Indian Boxing Federation (IABF) claims to have taken the first step towards regaining recognition from the International Boxing Association (AIBA) by preparing the draft of an amended constitution which would be compliant with the AIBA statute.
“Some of the vice-presidents and senior officials of the IABF, including president of the suspended body, Abhishek Matoria, met in Chandigarh on January 6. They discussed the constitutional amendments that have been suggested by the AIBA and also went through the AIBA statute,” an IABF source told PTI.
“The draft is in accordance with the AIBA statute and will be sent to them soon for approval. Once it is approved, the amendments will be incorporated into the constitution,” he added.