Press Trust of India
New Delhi, July 19: Top discus thrower Seema Punia’s decision to train in Russia to prepare for the Rio Olympics has left the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) fuming as that country is now at the centre of an unprecedented doping scandal.
Seema is currently training at Maykop, the capital city of Russian province of Adygea, at the foothills of Caucasus Mountains. She was seen on social media sites with a Russian coach Vitaliy Pishchalnikov, a former Olympian discus thrower.
The 32-year-old Seema, a 2014 Asian Games gold medallist, said she has informed the Athletics Federation of India and sports ministry regarding her training in Russia.
“I have written to NADA, SAI and AFI chief via e-mail and informed that we are going to train in Russia and we gave them the complete local address in Russia with house number. I will be in Russia till the first week of August and from there I will go to Rio,” Seema said.
Top AFI officials said that she had sent an e-mail that she was planning to train in Russia but she was not given the permission. “Russia is a country at the centre of the worst doping scandal and how could she have gone to train there,” he said.
Asked if she took permission from the AFI for her training trip to Russia, Seema said, “I don’t think it’s necessary. The cost of this training trip in Russia is from my own pocket. The government gave money under TOP Scheme for the US training stint only and not for this,” she said.