New Delhi : Sports minister Anurag Thakur reviewed India’s preparation for the Commonwealth Games 2022 at a Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) meeting on Thursday. A total of 215 athletes will be representing India at the upcoming CWG. Present at the MOC meeting were former long jumper Anju Bobby George, former hockey player Viren Rasquinha, former Table Tennis player Monalisa Baruah, former Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and former Badminton player Trupti Murgunde.
“The preparation of the athletes is going on in full swing. I am happy that the momentum of training and competition has been enhanced post Olympics and we can hope for continued success post Olympic and Paralympic,” Thakur said while reviewing the preparations .During the review various aspects of India’s preparation came to the fore. Post the Tokyo 2020 Olympics the athletes have gone back to full-fledged training including training at national camps and multiple international exposures in training and competition. As of now, the Government of India has helped facilitate 111 exposure trips in disciplines that India will compete in Birmingham 2022. The National Sports Federations (NSFs) are also working in tandem to organize national camps.
Several elite athletes have been training abroad post-Olympics at government cost, as per their training plan. Since return to training after Olympic Games, Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra has been based in Chula Vista (US), Antalya (Turkey) and Finland, Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu spent time in St Louis (US), training with specialist coach Dr Aaron Horschig, Steeplechaser Avinash Sable has been based in Colorado Springs (US) with coach Scott Simons since April 2022 and Cycling team has been based in Slovenia and Portugal for three months. Recently, exposure trips in Portugal and Republic of Ireland for the Table Tennis and Boxing contingents have also been sanctioned ahead of the CWG 2022. -- IANS