Indian athletes on training trip to South Africa

Patiala, Feb 13 (UNI) Seven Indian women athletes have gone to South Africa for a six-week training-cum-competition programme.

The athletes include five in 4x400 relay-- Manjit Kaur, Chitra Soman, Mandeep Kaur, Sini Jose and Anju Mariam Jose and two in discus throw--Harwant Kaur and Seema Antil.

Two foreign coaches from Ukraine, Yuri Ogordonik (sprints) and Yuri Minako (discus throw) , alongwith Dr Petrovenko (recovery expert) and Ina (masseuse), are accompaning the athletes to South Africa.

The lone Indian coach to go with the Indian contingent to South Africa is R S Sidhu (sprints) from Punjab.

The next batch of Indian athletes is likely to leave for South Africa next week, according to Sanjay Garnaik, coordinator of the ongoing national coaching camp at the NIS here.

The chief national athletics coach, Bahadur Singh said here today that the purpose to send the athletes to South Africa is to give them a good exposure before Beijing Olympics next year, Asian Athletic Championship in Lebanon from July 29 to August 2 and World Athletic Championship in Osaka, Japan, to be held towards the end of August.

India won a gold medal in Doha Asian Games in the 4 x 400 event. The Indian relay team comprised of Manjit Kaur,Chitra Soman, S Geeta and Pinki Parmanik.

UNI