India’s javeline coach Uwe Hohn mighty dissapointed with Tokyo Olympics preparations


India’s javeline coach Uwe Hohn mighty dissapointed with Tokyo Olympics preparations

Uwe Hohn

With the much-awaited Tokyo Olympics only a month away, athletes have stepped up their preparations. As India aims for a historic medal bounty in the summer games, India’s javelin throw coach Uwe Hohn has accused the leading sports organisations of the country of having not done enough to aid the preparations of the athletes.

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He asserts that neither the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Athletics Federation of India (AFI) played their part in organising camps for the Olympic bound athletes. Hohn further adds that India’s brightest medal hope in athletics, Neeraj Chopra’s Europe camp was only possible due to JSW Sports, who manage the budding the sportsperson.

The temperatures in Patiala are pretty extreme and we can only practice early in the morning or after 6 pm. It is difficult to keep the motivation up in these conditions. Also, recovery needs much longer time than when compared to the weather conditions in Europe now.

I’m actually not sure how exactly it (Chopra going to Europe) happened but I guess it was with the help and connection of JSW (JSW Sports which manages Chopra). Definitely nothing from the SAI or AFI. They both definitely did not do enough to get our athletes to camps or competitions (overseas),” Hohn told Indian Express.

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“Not even the TOPS athletes get the right stuff,” Uwe Hohn

Uwe Hohn and Neeraj Chopra
Uwe Hohn and Neeraj Chopra

Uwe Hohn, who is the only man to throw the javelin over 100 metres, is currently in Patiala training with javelin thrower Shivpal Singh, who has qualified for the summer Olympics. The German asserts that even the TOPS athletes, the country’s brightest medal hopes handpicked by SAI, are not getting the right diet even after repeated requests.

When I came here I thought I could change something but it’s probably too difficult with these people at SAI or AFI. I don’t know if it’s lack of knowledge or ignorance. Beside camps or competitions even when we ask via our nutritionist for supplements for our athletes we don’t get the right stuff. Not even for TOPS athletes. If we get something we are very happy.

Hohn first started working in India back in 2018. Recently, he signed a new contract but shares that he was blackmailed to do the same. He even accuses the governing bodies of not abiding by their words. Hohn is mighty disappointed by the irregularities on the ground and lashed out at the authorities for the mismanagement.

I’m not happy with the new contract I signed in the beginning of April. We (he and biomechanics expert Dr Klaus Bartonietz) got blackmailed into signing it otherwise we wouldn’t have got paid anymore. They said they would review our coaching in April and then increase our salaries. Like all promises before, these were only empty words. That’s not the way you work with people and coaches who like to help Indian athletes to get closer to their potential,” Hohn signed off.

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