Several Indian players prefer to train in Europe these days to avail good sparring partners, one of the key factors to polish skills to prepare for major international events.
Navneet Singh
Away from the public glare, top Indian fencers and judokas have been training over months in Europe, including France, to finetune their skills in the buildup to the 20th Asian Games, starting September 19 in Japan. What is more heartening is that, even if they are not getting financial support from the Sports Ministry or private sponsors, the new breed of players are courageous enough to fund their own international exposure tour over a sustained period of time. Financial support from parents, bank loans and selling agricultural land for international exposure is a common practice for these players.
“You only get funds from the government if you are one of the top players. But those who are on the fringes and are working hard to win laurels in major competitions have to prove themselves before getting financial support from the government,” says one of the leading judo players.
Asmita Dey, India’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games champion in women’s 48kg, had to fund her own training programme in France before the Commonwealth Games. “It’s a big challenge to arrange funds,” Asmita told Sportsbackstory.com before heading to Japan for pre-Asian Games camp.
Several top fencers including Olympian CA Bhavani Devi and Karan Singh, have been camping in Europe. Before Bhavani became the first Indian to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, she had to fund her own trip to practice in Europe. “It’s tough if there is no financial backing,” reveals international fencer Taniksha Khatri whose training base is Paris.
A monthly expenditure generally varies between Rs 3-4 lakh, including coaching fees and local travel expenses. “If you compete in tournaments across Europe, the cost goes up,” claims international fencer Karan Singh.
Some players supported by private sponsors are also regularly going for international exposure.
There are more than 5,000 judo clubs in France. “Clubs are excellent platforms for sparring partners. Good sparring partners are not available under one umbrella in India,” said Yashpal Solanki, former international and judo coach.
EOM