India and Russia Forge Long-Term Athletics Cooperation

India and Russia are set to collaborate on a long-term basis in athletics through joint training camps and grassroots development initiatives. The proposal includes mutual participation in each other's competitions, although no formal agreement has been made yet, according to athletics officials.

Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) officials, including Executive Director Boris Yaryshevsky and General Secretary Alexander Georgadze, visited India to discuss potential areas of collaboration with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). However, AFI officials stated that the discussions have not yet resulted in a specific program.

The cooperation aims to allow Russian athletes to compete in Indian national competitions and provide Indian athletes the opportunity to train in Russia. Exchange of coaching experiences is also part of the planned collaboration. Notably, Russian coaches like Sergey Makarov already work within the AFI framework. Despite these discussions, the geopolitical situation keeps Russian and Belarusian athletes excluded from international competitions.

(With inputs from agencies.)