Avinash Sable to request SAI for funds to train in USA post World Championships
Avinash Sable has stated that he wants to travel abroad for his preparations for the Tokyo Olympics after the upcoming World Championships in September. He further stated that he is feeling good about his form and will be trying his best to qualify for the Olympics in the inter-state championships.
National record holder in the 3000 meters steeplechase, Avinash Sable is set to take his preparations to the next level in a bid to qualify for and perform well at the Olympics next year. He usually trains at the national camp in Bangalore where fellow athlete Jinson Johnson also used to train. The mid-distance runner, however, had also stated his intentions to train in Colorado having ended his ties with coach Jasvinder Singh Bhatia and Sable is likely to follow in his footsteps.
“I am planning to train abroad, most probably in the USA, after the World Championships as I have heard the facilities back there are really good for long-distance runners. I wanted to do it earlier but competitions are just days away and that’s why I want to keep my focus on it and then see what are the possible options abroad,” Avinash was reported saying by Mail Today via India Today.
The 24-year-old had claimed a 37-year-old national record for himself last year in September, before breaking it again to qualify for the World Championships scheduled to start in Doha in the last week of September. He stated he will write to the Sports Authority of India to seek economic help for training in the US.
Meanwhile, Asian Games gold medallist Jinson Johnson revealed that he will finalize the date for moving abroad post the Inter-States Athletics Championships in Lucknow from the 26th of August.
Avinash hasn’t participated in any event for more than three months now and has only been a part of the Asian Games since having set the national record 8:28:94 seconds at the Federation Cup in Patiala in March. He too will be participating in the Inter-states where he’ll be aiming to record the Olympic qualifying standard of 8:22.00 seconds.
“I have had a strong off-season in the past two months and my timings in the training have been good so Inter-States ahead of World Championships will be a good opportunity to prepare for it and also to qualify for the Olympics,” Sable concluded.