Bedros Bedrosian, the foreign coach in charge of the jumps athletes at the national camp conducted by the Athletics Federation of India, has quit, according to reports.
Bedrosian reportedly took the decision after the AFI decided to move the base of the national camp for jumps from Trivandrum to Palakkad to accommodate the national record holder and long jumper Sreeshankar M.
The coach was reportedly unhappy with the facilities in Palakkad, including the lack of a gymnasium at the local stadium. “I forwarded my resignation letter to the Athletics Federation of India after going to Palakkad and looking at the facilities,” Bedros told The Indian Express.
“I cannot train an athlete in such a place. There is no gymnasium at the stadium and we will have to use a private one. The facilities are not of standard and there are a large number of people who use the track and they are not necessarily athletes,” he added.
Although the AFI had reportedly promised Bedros that they would upgrade the facilities, he said, “It can’t be done overnight. Lots needs to be done.”
Another reason cited for Bedros’s resignation is the lack of interest among Indian athletes to train under him.
Earlier this year, the 19-year-old Sreeshankar had moved to Palakkad so that he could train under his father, P Murali, an accomplished jumper himself. Sreeshankar reportedly told Bedros that he would prefer to train with his father.
Arpinder Singh, who ended India’s 48-year-long wait for a gold in the triple jump at the Asian Games, almost immediately moved base from Trivandrum to Patiala, and the AFI planned to hire a personal coach for him, reported Sportstar.
Neena Pinto, an Asian Games silver medallist in the long jump, had also stated that most of her training prior to the multi-disciplinary meet in Jakarta, had been under her husband Pinto Mathew. Nayana James, the second of the woman long jumpers, decided to opt out of training under Bedros with results going downhill for her at the Commonwealth and the Asian Games this year.
“At the moment I have no athletes to train so what is the point in me continuing,” Bedros told The Indian Express. “I’m going to Muscat next month to join my wife and I will take three months rest; if they want me to come back, I will come back,” he was quoted as saying by Sportstar.
AFI secretary CK Valson stated that the federation was yet to accept the coach’s resignation and would try to convince him to reverse his decision, especially with the Asian Athletics Championships in Doha early next year.