Javelin coach Hohn's criticism is 'nonsense', says Athletics Federation of India chief

'Athletes don't want to train with him because of his attitude,' the AFI chief said, in response to Hohn's comments

India's athletics chief accused javelin coach Uwe Hohn of talking "nonsense" on Friday after the German said competitors had not been prepared properly for the Olympics.

Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla rejected the criticism from Hohn, the former world record-holder who said India's sports authorities "did not do enough" to give their athletes high-level competitive training.

"He is dealing with a country. He can't blackmail India and talk nonsense like this especially after being among the most highest-paid coaches," Sumariwalla told AFP.

"You are not dealing with a 1947 India (under British rule). We are an emerging superpower. Nobody can treat us like we are some third-rate people.

"Athletes don't want to train with him because of his attitude. The athletes went out and said that he is more interested in (training) his partner than us."

Hohn, 58, has coached India's javelin team for more than three years, including in 2018 when Neeraj Chopra became the country's first Commonwealth Games champion in the event.

"When I came here I thought I could change something but it's probably too difficult with these people at SAI (Sports Authority of India) or AFI," Hohn told the Indian Express.

"I don't know if it's lack of knowledge or ignorance. Beside camps or competitions, even when we ask via our nutritionist for supplements for our athletes, we don't get the right stuff."

Hohn added that he and biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz were "blackmailed" into signing their latest coaching contracts "otherwise we wouldn't have got paid anymore".

But Sumariwalla said Hohn is out of favour with the Indian athletes.

Chopra, 23, who has left the country to train and compete in Europe, had a falling-out with Hohn in 2018, and fellow throwers including Shivpal Singh and Annu Rani have spoken out against the coach recently.

Sumariwalla said Hohn's "frustration is because he could not go to Europe to train his partner — Australia's 2018 Commonwealth Games women's javelin gold winner Kathryn Mitchell. Don't take it out on me and my athletes".

Hohn told the Express that Mitchell had joined him at a few training sessions in Finland and South Africa in 2018-2019 and did throwing sessions separately.

"Kathryn also has a degree in human movement and shared her experience with Indian athletes. To bring something up like this means that they have no respect for me and my partner," he said.

Sumariwalla said that he intends to talk things out with Hohn ahead of the Covid-postponed Olympics.

India, despite its huge population, returned from the 2016 Rio Olympics with just two medals.