Indian athletics to hold short acclimatisation camp in Japan before Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

The Indian athletics team will undertake a short acclimatisation camp at the University of Tsukuba, near Tokyo, ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games scheduled for September-October. The national squad is set to depart for Japan after competing in the invitational Indian Athletics Final Series in New Delhi on September 10.

In June, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Tsukuba. The MoU is designed to facilitate participation by Indian athletes, coaches and sports scientists. Those provisions cover specialised training and exchange programmes in Japan.

Athletes who had been training at Jablonec in the Czech Republic are due to return to India within a day or two. On their return they will undertake another short training stint at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. Kalinga Stadium will host the Indian Open World Athletics Silver Level Continental Tour event on August 22.

A host of top Indian athletes are scheduled to compete in Bhubaneswar, including Murali Sreeshankar, Ancy Sojan, Jyothi Yarraji, Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur and Kishore Jena.

Neeraj Chopra is not expected to feature in the Bhubaneswar meeting, as he will compete at the Lausanne Diamond League on August 21.

Following the New Delhi Final Series on September 10, the national team will travel to the University of Tsukuba for the brief acclimatisation camp ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September-October.