Coimbatore: The synthetic track at the Nehru Stadium , where the 16th Federation Cup Junior National Athletics Championship is being held, is of poor quality “Running on this track is more like running on the road. Athletes participating in more than two sprints will definitely suffer injury,” Usha, who is known as the queen of Indian track and field, told reporters. She is the coach of athletes from Kerala attending the championship.Though she lauded the organisers of the meet, Usha said that the stadium lacks facilities for the players to warm up. “The government should improve the facilities here,” she said.Stating that there are several training centres of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and several other private coaching centres, Usha said that the players should make good use of the facilities. They should not attend national meets without prior practice, she said, pinpointing that the meet serve as the selection trail for the 18th Asian Junior Athletic Meet to be held in Japan in June.Over 800 athletes from 32 states, including 72 athletes from Tamil Nadu, are participating in the three-day meet that started on Friday. About 440 boys and 352 girls in the age group of 16 to 20 years are participating in 44 events. It is jointly organised by the State Athletic Association, Coimbatore District Athletic Association and Sri Krishna Educational Institutions.

Stay updated with all the Coimbatore Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.