The Hindu : Sport / Athletics : Tata Academy inaugurated

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 01, 2004

Sport

Sport - Athletics

Tata Academy inaugurated

JAMSHEDPUR, MAY 31. Tata Steel presented the country its first athletic academy when the Tata Athletic Academy (TAA) was inaugurated here on Sunday night.

TAA chairman, A. N. Singh said, ``this academy will work towards producing excellence in the field of athletics, but in a consolidated number of disciplines. We have kept the middle and the long distance courses as the main target of the Academy and cadets are scouted according to their merit in these fields,'' he said.

While maintaining that `talent and only talent' was the criteria for selection to the academy, he said, ``the academy would house 30 cadets of whom 12 have already been scouted. The rest would be selected by the coaches under the guidance of the chief coach.''

He added that the Athletic Federation of India (AFI) supports the project with technical back-up and expertise.

``It was largely because of AFI guidance that S. Nicolai had been appointed as the chief coach," he said.

Nicolai has an impressive CV. This former Russian chief coach is currently based in Mainz where he is the chief academy coach of Belarus.

Tata Steel MD, B. Muthuraman said, ``the academy is a dream come true for the company that is dedicated to the promotion of sports for over the last 50 years. It happened largely due to the proposal put forward by Olympian Milkha Singh and immediate technical back-up from AFI secretary Lalit Bhanot.''

``We already run two academies and if I may add do it with distinction. This academy will be run with the same dedication and determination that will help us produce world-beaters,'' he said.

Tata Steel already runs the Tata Football Academy and Tata Archery Academy. — UNI

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