Frenchman on scouting mission

BHUBANESWAR:  On the sidelines of the Open National Athletics Championship in Bhubaneswar, a tall, well-built man was watching proceedings, noting down things and asking people, especially team managers, about athletes and coaches. One look and it is clear that he is not from India. One might wonder what exactly a foreigner is doing at a national meet in India. Antony Yaich, who is the head coach of track and field at the Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS) in Vijayanagara, is here to scout athletes and coaches for the academy.

This is something that is not common in India. But it could certainly be the start of something significant. Usually, at an event like this, jobs and cash awards are the incentives for athletes. While the victorious athletes here are being given cash awards by the Odisha government, they are not aware that one good performance can change their lives forever. “We are looking at young and seasoned athletes and coaches. If we feel that they are the right kind, we will take them back to the academy and provide them with the best of facilities,” Antony said.

Antony, who came to India two months ago, has trained many junior world championship medallists. In Paris, he even had a chance to work with global superstars like former PSG full-back Serge Aurier. But he specialises in track-and-field coaching and has trained Olympic triple-jumpers like Colomba Fofana and Julien Kapek. He believes that the project in India is very exciting. “There are so many raw talents in India. With the right guidance, they can reach levels that they have never even thought of.” He will be training a couple of Indian athletes at the Youth Olympics in Argentina in October. And there is good news for some of the athletes who are in Bhubaneswar — the Frenchman has already shortlisted a few for trials at the academy.

According to Antony, there are a lot of differences between athletes and coaches from the north and south India. He feels that those from Haryana and other northern states are mentally stronger. But talent, according to him, is there in abundance. “This is a country with a population of one billion. We need to dig deep to find out who is capable of what. If they have the right facilities, I see many Olympic and world champions in the coming years.”