The Hindu : Sport : Daley Thompson ready to coach Indians

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 15, 2005

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Daley Thompson ready to coach Indians

Sports Reporter

Daley Thompson. — Photo: S. Subramanium

NEW DELHI: Daley Thompson has a lot of things on his hands, from business to sports promotion, but for a good price he is ready to coach Indian athletes.

"I am ready to travel 5000 miles and come to India if the people who are running athletics are interested in," said Thompson. "Indian athletics is picking up and there are a few who could be shaped to compete internationally."

What Thompson meant was that if there were people with the right kind of financial resources, he was available to take up the job.

Thompson is in the capital as one of the brand ambassadors for Sunday's Hutch Delhi half marathon. Thompson, one of the greatest decathletes, won 19 of 31 meets and every major title till he retired in 1992.

System at fault

The Briton said that Indian athletics had potential but it was not being harnessed well. "I know Anju (Bobby George) has done well, but I also know that the system doesn't allow her to have the best of the facilities."

"She (Anju) has potential, but it depends on how she uses it because the system lets you down," he said to a question whether the long jumper could win an Olympic medal in Beijing. The two-time Olympic champion said that the sports administrators in India should use the euphoria of hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games to better use. "Get as many corporates involved in sports, otherwise it would be difficult," he said.

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