TEAM HERALD
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA: Athletics preparation has been going on full swing with over 60 athletes including men and women undergoing training sessions at Peddem sports complex, ahead of next week’s 3rd Lusofonia Games.
Sashi Kumar, athletics sprint coach is training eight boys and girls for the sprint event and expects at least two to four medals.
To boost India’s chances of winning a medal at the Games, Dheeraj Mishra has joined the camp and is all set for the triple jump event. Dheeraj has won accolades for India in the 2008 Commonwealth Games by winning a gold medal. The 22-year-old triple jumper has represented India in six International athletic championships which also include SAF Games held in Sri Lanka and Junior Asian Games held in Jakarta.
“My preparations are going well and I’m going to give my best,” said the lanky Dheeraj from LIC Mumbai.
Another athlete in fray of a gold medal will be sprinter Irfan Sheikh from Goa, who wa spotted by coach Sashi and soon drafted to the SAI centre in Bangalore.
He has already broken the Karnataka 100m record of 10.7 seconds. Providing the athletes with physical as well as mental stability is Yoga trainer Suresh Kumar.
Ten more athletes are expected to join the camp, rounding the total to 78.
