India, Russia discuss long-term athletics ties, no programme finalised: AFI

New Delhi: The athletics bodies of India and Russia are looking at a "long-term cooperation" in organising training camps, grassroots development works and mutual participation of their players in their respective competitions, the European country said.

Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) said on Instagram that its officials -- Executive Director Boris Yaryshevsky and General Secretary Alexander Georgadze -- recently visited India and met Athletics Federation of India (AFI) officials.

The AFI officials, however, said that there is no specific programme agreed upon by the two sides as of now.


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"Russian athletes will be able to compete in national competitions in India, while Indian athletes in several disciplines will have the opportunity to train in Russia. Coaches, in turn, will be able to exchange experience," RusAF said.

"We are laying the foundation for long-term cooperation. We have agreed on mutual participation of Russian and Indian athletes in competitions, the organisation of joint training camps in Russia, and strengthening efforts to develop grassroots sport," said Yaryshevsky.

Currently, there are Russian coaches working under AFI such former world champion and two-time Olympic medallist Sergey Makarov who is the foreign javelin throw coach for the national team based at NIS Patiala.

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"As of now, there is no specific programme with the Russian Athletics Federation," an AFI source said.

World Athletics has ended its ban of the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) but the country's athletes, and those of Belarus, are still excluded from international competitions because of WA's ongoing separate ban over the invasion of Ukraine.