Athletic Federation of India appoint three new foreign coaches

Athletic Federation of India appoint three new foreign coaches

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Written by: SportsCafe Desk

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The Athletic Federation of India has roped in German Dr. Klaus Bartonietz, Russia’s Valerii Satshuk and Athletics recovery expert Andrei Filimonau to their coaching staff. However, Uwe Hohn will continue to hold on to the position of head coach of the Indian Athletics team for now.

The Athletic Federation of India has opted to offer some support to the current coaching staff of the Indian javelin team and the 4x400m relay team by appointing three new foreign coaches to the backroom management unit. 

AFI took to Twitter to announce the appointment of Germany’s Dr. Klaus Bartonietz, a bio-mechanics expert, who will work with national javelin throwers. Klaus will work under current boss Uwe Hohn who will continue to stay on as the head coach for them. Meanwhile, Russian national Valerii Satshuk, who has worked with the Bahrain relay team in the past, would be working with the 4x400m relay squad in par with national chief coach Galina Bukharina.

In addition to that, Athletics recovery expert Andrei Filimonau of Belarus been recalled to the coaching staff. Filimonau earlier had separate stints with the Indian athletes before the 2012 London Olympics as well as the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Hohn will definitely benefit from the appointment of Dr. Bartonietz and can now solely focus on star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's training. At the moment, the pair are in South Africa training at Potchefstroom's North-East University.

"In javelin, we have a core group of more than 10 athletes. It was becoming very difficult for Uwe Hohn to train more than 10 elite athletes. He needed another person who can take the load off him. So that he can focus more on Neeraj Chopra.

"But he (Hohn) remains the head coach for javelin in India. He oversees everything. So both (Hohn and Bartonietz) will work together. In fact, both have worked together in the past too, so there is an understanding. Both are Germans and when we selected, we ensured that they have compatibility, Uwe's day starts at 7 in the morning and finishes at 7 in the evening. He has no time at all during the whole day. He pays attention to every athlete. If he has to think more, focus more on Neeraj, then there is somebody now who will help him, and one who also is very good," AFI president Adille Sumariwalla told TOI.

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