Sports Ministry approves appointment of two foreign athletics coaches for 2020 Tokyo Olympics preparation

Dave Smith, a former top race walker who competed in 1980 and 1984 Olympics, will work alongside Russian Alexander Artsybashev who has been the foreign coach since 2011.

New Delhi: Keeping in mind the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and next year's multi-sporting events, the sports ministry on Thursday approved the appointment of two top foreign athletics coaches, one each in race walking and 400m race.

Australian Dave Smith's appointment as second foreign coach in race walking was cleared in view of India's bright prospects in this discipline at the international events.

Smith, a former top race walker who competed in 1980 and 1984 Olympics, will work alongside Russian Alexander Artsybashev who has been the foreign coach since 2011.

The 61-year-old Australian Smith is expected to arrive India in a few days and take charge of the national camp at NIS Patiala.

"Smith is arriving in India in a few days and he will work along with Alexander. Most times he will be based at NIS but he can go anywhere he wants," a top Athletics Federation of India said.

The ministry's decision to appoint Smith, on the recommendation of the Athletics Federation of India, was largely influenced by the impressive number of top-class Indian race walkers in 20km and 50km events.

As many as seven 20km race walkers qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics but only three eventually took part as that was the maximum number a country can send.

The ministry also approved the appointment of 72-year-old American Galina P Bukharina, a former head coach of Texas State track and field, as coach of national 400m and 400m relay teams.

Controversial Ukrainian coach Yuri Ogorodnik, who was in charge of 400m national camp till the Rio Olympics, has already returned home as the ministry was not keen to renew his contract.

Bukharina represented the erstwhile USSR in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, claiming a bronze medal in the 400 meter relay race. She was a former head coach of Texas State track and field.

Before coming to Texas State, Bukharina worked in the former Soviet Union for over 14 years as coach of the world's top sprint and hurdle athletes. She coached the world record-breaking women's 1600 meter relay team that captured the gold medal at the 1988 Olympics.

After the 1988 Olympics, Bukharina coached four Olympic individual gold medallists, two Olympic gold medal relay teams and seven European and World Championships gold medal performers.

Bukharina has been credited with developing four of the most internationally successful athletes from the former Soviet Union as well as the three top finishers in the 400 meters in the 1983 Helsinki World Championships.

She was named the USSR's National Track and Field Olympic Coach of the Year three times from 1980 to 1988.

The sports ministry said that Smith and Bukharina's contract will run through 2020 Tokyo Olympics "subject to performance review annually".

"The appointments of foreign coaches and support staff have been made until 2020 Olympics and they will be subject to performance review annually," Sports Minister Vijay Goel said in a release.

The ministry has also approved the appointment of two masseurs -- Dmitry Kislev and Elmira Kisleva -- both from Russia.