In a bid to promote middle and long distance running at the grassroots, Sports Authority of India (SAI), Procam International and Global Sports Communication had organised a five-week high altitude training session in Iten, Kenya.
Six athletes were selected from over thousand men and women aged between 16 and 23 across India in trials conducted by SAI across its seven nodal centers.
Abhishek Pal, Phoolan Pal, Harshad Mhatre, Murli Gavit, Priti Lamba and Sangeeta Yadav came back here following training session under the supervision of head coach Hugo Van Den Broek.
"We had a wonderful training session in Kenya. The runners learnt many new techniques and this will help them to boost their performance in future. The environment was also favourable for the runners to undergo a very tough training session," said SAI coach Surinder Paul, who accompanied them to Kenya.
Asked about the trainning session, Sangeeta Yadav (19) said,"The training was very difficult initially for two to three days as it was at a high altitude. The tracks were up and down. We find it tough to relax at the earliest."
It was during their training, they realised that the locals were far more fit and energetic then them because of their food habits, climate and more importantly their hard work, love for endurance sport which has led to so many middle and long distance champions emerging from the African nation.
"While their budding athletes can run 3000m in sub-10 minute timing, it has taken me two years of training to achieve that timing," she said.
20-year-old Harshad Mhatre said,"Coach Hugo is very strict during the training. We were training for five to six hours daily. He also gave us some better technique like knowing your body capacity and to increase through practise.
"But it totally depends on the hard work ,practise and also the food habits of the athlete," he added.
