Kolkata, Dec 18 (PTI) Top athletics national coach Nikolai Snesarev today blasted the Railway for threatening his athletes — the Olympics-bound trio of Sudha Singh, Lalita Babar and OP Jaisha. Terming Railways an ‘enemy’ of the athletes, the Belarusian was furious at the bureaucracy which he said was killing the sport and pleaded to stop interfering in their preparation.
“They (Railway Sports Promotion Board) tell them if you don’t come for Railways cross country, national cross country, we would ‘stop your salary’. Railways department does not understand how important are such type of tournaments,” the 67-year-old told reporters.
“They insist to compete in national cross country just a week ahead of the much important Mumbai Marathon where top runners will compete. Imagine, if your boss tells you each week, several times a day ‘I stop your salary, I stop your salary’, how you would feel…”
The Railways had their inter department cross country in Chiitranajan earlier this month while the national cross
country is slated in Pune on January 9-10 as the Sudha, Babar (both Central Railway) and Jaisa (Eastern Railway), who are based in Ooty national camp, were “threatened” by their respective employers, he alleged.
Snesarev said travelling from Ooty to Chittaranjan in Burdwan district of West Bengal and back would take five days by train and Railways don’t arrange air tickets.
“They still are preparing for medals and I’m surprised they’ve not lost motivation. But mine is almost lost… You
have to understand how to spoil their preparation for cross country preparation,” exclaimed Belarussian.
“Now tell me who are killing these girls? They are enemies of Indian sport. In your country you kill the best. I
am ready to leave any second this team but due to their dedication I’m still here.
“Secondly I love your country. From my childhood I love India. Soviet Union and India were very close. I remember the T-shirts I wore were ‘made in India’. They are golden girls of your nation, of our nation — because I’m part of your country.
“They have improved their records five times in only year. And they are telling them to ‘stop your salary, stop
your salary’.
“Let me tell you government allows the departments (Police, Customs, Railways) to pay their money to prepare for the tournaments and not for local completions,” Snesarev, who is attached with Indian athletics since 2005, said.
Snesarev was also livid at the Athletics Federation of India for insisting him to write 400-words analysis on preparation to be published for their website.
“Do you think I’m a writer? I don’t have good skill for writing in English which is not even my native language… I sleep four-five hours a day. I wake up at 3.30am. I don’t have enough time for analysis of their preparation.”
Courtesy : PTI