It'll be our best-ever show in CWG: Coach Bahadur

Padma Shri Bahadur Singh,the chief coach of indian athletics team for commonwealth games2010, one of the best shot putters India has ever produced and a veteran of five Asian Games, is perhaps the busiest man at the Netaji Subas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS) in Patiala where the Indian athletes are training for the CWG.

Talk about the Delhi Games and Bahadur's eyes will light up with excitement. "It will be our best-ever show," he told TOI with confidence. "We won just two silver medals at the last Games but this time it will be a totally different story."

According to the coach, the host country will be a medal contender in at least 10 events. "If you look at the track events in the women's section, we have got a chance in the 400m hurdles, 800m, 3,000m steeplechase and 10,000m."

The coach expects great things from youngsters like Tintu Luka and Mayookha Johny. "Tintu has got the capacity to excel at the world level but needs to work more on her endurance. She may not win a medal but she will definitely produce a good performance," said Bahadur. Analysing Mayookha's chances, he said: "She got a better chance in long jump. In triple jump, she will better the national record for sure."

Bahadur said the women's discus throw would see fierce competition between Melbourne silver medallist Seema Antil, in-form Krishna Poonia and Harwant Kaur. "All three are capable of winning medals," Bahadur, who personally trains Seema, felt. Among the men, the chief coach is floored by the improvement shown by Pankaj Dimri who clocked 1:46.26 in men's 800m at the inter-state meet in Patiala.

"That was a stunning performance. Not even Sriram (Singh) or Charles (Borromeo) could clock this time," he said. "I'm also confident about the performance of Om Prakash in men's shot put, Vikas Gowda in men's discus and Renjith Maheswary in men's triple jump."

Asked about the contribution of foreign coaches, Bahadur Singh said their contribution was vital for the sport. "Earlier, we never did this well. All these improvements in standards came only after their arrival. For example, in middle and long distance and walking we have done well with the help of foreigners."

The coach revealed that the plan was to let the athletes' peak at the right time. "We've deliberately kept the qualifying standards a bit low so that our athletes didn't have to reach their peak to qualify for the Games."

Read more: It'll be our best-ever show in CWG: Coach Bahadur - Interviews - Commonwealth Games - Events & Tournaments - Sports - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/commonwealth-games/interviews/Itll-be-our-best-ever-show-in-CWG-Coach-Bahadur/articleshow/6465128.cms#ixzz0yIToeRUI

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