State sports directorate organises coaching camp with an eye on CYG

Pune, May 8 (UNI) The Maharashtra Directorate for Sports and Youth Affairs, in association with the Maharashtra Amateur Athletic Association (MAAA), will be organising a month-long coaching-cum-conditioning camp here from May 10 in preparation for the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games and also for the National youth athletics meet in Bangalore on June 1 and 2.

Outstanding sister duo of Monica and Rohini Raut from Nagpur, who had won the gold and silver medals respectively in the recently-held Asian Cross Country Championship at Amman, and Indian gold winning girls team member Swati Gadhve are among the 45 athletes (under 18- boys and girls) who will ATTEND the month-long coaching camp at the Baburao Sanas ground from May 10.

Maharashtra Sports and Youth Affairs director Laxmikant Deshmukh and MAAA secretary general Pralhad Sawant said these 45 junior athletes have been selected for the camp on the basis of their performance in the Maharashtra Youth Athletic championship held here on May 1 and 2.

Out of the 45 athletes, 25 will be selected to take part in the Youth National Athletic Championship at Bangalore. A second coaching-cum-conditioning camp will be held here after the conclusion of the Bangalore nationals, a press release here said.

Noted coaches like Pandurang Mhaskar (Kolhapur), Suresh Gujarati (Pune) and international coach U L Saini will guide the youngsters in the camps. These coaches will be assisted by former international Ms Gurbans Kaur and state coaches Subash Pawar, Sudesh Kakad and Bhaygyashri Bile.

The State Government will extend all facilities including diet, equipment, coaching, and even foreign exposure to the athletes from nine disciplines in preparation for the 2008 CYG, Mr Deshmukh said in the release.

The selected junior athletes are as follows: Boys: Kuldeep Bonge, Praveen Yadav, Anniruddha, Rajesh Sharma, Gulabsingh Vasave, Datta Zodge, Sunil Kumar, Bhimsingh Vasave, Yayappa Shedge, Deepak Pandya, Sandeep Kulgude, Siddharath Thangliya, Sabha Bhagat, Naveem Singh, Anand Kamane, Dhiraj Mishra, Pushkar Mehunkar, Amit Nimbhalkar, Tejas Salian, Milan Gohel, Ramashankar Bharati, Tanmay Birud, and S Yadav.

Girls: Rucha Patil, Shirya Vidwans, Bhagyashree Shirke, Sonali Gargote, Sayali Dravid, Amruta Vhatkar, Monika Atre, Rupali Talekar, Jayshree Borage, Manisha Salunke, Swati Ghadve, Rohini Raut, Monica Raut, Deepika Vakhare, Sharadha Ghule, Pankaja Kolhe, Pranita Ghate, Prema Gangaje, Vaishnavi Zare, Rajshree More, Ania Bagul, and Swapnali Sonawane.

UNI