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Bhopal, December 18, 2014
Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Procam International along with Amateur Athletics Federation of India (AAFI) and Madhya Pradesh Athletics Association (MPAA) today elaborated on the Elite Distance Running Program (EDRP) in Bhopal. The press briefing was conducted by Director General SAI Sh. Jiji Thomson, Sh. Rajinder Singh, Regional Director, Sports Authority of India, Sh. Vivek Singh, Joint Managing Director, Procam International and Hugo Van Den Broek Head Coach from Global Sports Communication (GSC).
The Elite Distance Running Program was launched with an aim to promote middle and long distance running at the grassroots for Indian athletes. Road races promoted by Procam International today offer a new competitive platform, transforming the opportunity for long and middle distance Indian runners, who are competing in these events across the country and getting better with each passing year. Procam, SAI and Global Sports Communication (GSC) have come together to encourage and nurture Indian athletes and provide them professional training and international exposure in order to compete at the highest level.
In addition to this, Sports Authority of India (SAI) is also setting up 03 Academies for promotion of Athletics. The Academy for Sprint and Jumps has already been inaugurated in Trivandrum on 22nd Sept, 2014. The academy for throws in Rohtak is inaugurated in due course. The Academy for Middle and Long Distance is in Bhopal and likely to be inaugurated in 23rd Dec, 2014. The other proposed SAI National Academies will also be setup in the disciplines is Archery, Boxing, Football, Golf, Hockey, Shooting, Volleyball and Wrestling.
As part of the Elite Distance Running Program, the process of identification and selection of raw talent got underway in August this year. Over 1000 young men and women in the age group of 16 to 23 years from across India participated in trials conducted by SAI across seven centres. The athletes were put through their paces in the distances of 3, 5 and 10K. This group was then invited to New Delhi to participate in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2014, the most prestigious half marathon in the world promoted by Procam International and conducted on 23rd of November. The runners participated in the three timed race categories of 3, 5, 10K at the event. From those that participated, 30 to 40 athletes were further shortlisted based on their timings in New Delhi for advanced training at the SAI Academy in Bhopal. 29 of the selected athletes made it to the camp and have been undergoing specific training under Dutch long-distance runner and marathon specialist Hugo Van Den Broek since the 8th of December.
At the end of this special purpose camp, 10 to 12 men and women will be selected for training at a high altitude camp within India. 5 to 6 selected athletes comprising the EDRP Elite Team will travel to Africa with Global Sports Communication (GSC), an organization that represents around 120 expert athletes from 20 different countries, and train for distance running events. They will be supported for a period of 2 to 3 years, subject to them achieving and maintaining acceptable levels of performance and results, as determined by GSC.
Speaking about the Elite Distance Running Program, Vivek B Singh Joint Managing Director, Procam International said, “We are glad to partner Sports Authority of India to carry out a pioneering and first of its kind Elite Distance Running Program for Indian athletes. We believe India possesses extraordinary running talent that needs to be spotted and nurtured in the right manner. We are hopeful that the program will help discover such talent and make India proud in the years to come.”
Five key areas of focus at EDRP will include Performance Excellence, Athlete Coaching & Leadership, Performance Science & innovation, Sports Workforce Development Program, and Long Term Athlete Development. The program will provide a holistic approach to training of athletes, which will include Sports Nutrition, Sports Scientific and Physical training, and Mental Preparation Programs.
The National Athletics Academy will offer Indian runners expertise in Middle and Long Distance running. The aim of the academy is to function as a feeder centre for the High Performance Centre, which will be pivotal in ensuring talented athletes excel at the highest level of the sport with the help of a dedicated Sports Science Team.
