Neeraj Chopra's coach to step down, ending successful partnership to be with family
The 75-year-old coach Klaus Bartonietz and Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra of India, a legendary German-Indian combination, are about to part ways as the former feels it's time to spend more time with his family in his native country. After the current season, Bartonietz, who helped Chopra make history by winning an Olympic gold medal, two World Championship medals, and an Asian Games gold, will be leaving.
Bartonietz originally became a part of the Indian athletics team as a biomechanic in 2019 and later served as a coach to Chopra when Uwe Hohn had a dispute with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) and the Sports Authority of India. Even though Bartonietz was not keen on remaining as a coach until 2021 because he has crossed the age of sixty, he accepted to be a part of it for another term at the insistence of the AFI. However, as he approaches his 76th birthday, he has made the decision to eventually retire and return to his hometown in the middle of October.
"Coach Klaus Bartonietz won’t continue with Neeraj Chopra or the Indian athletics team after this season. He wants to spend more time with his family," stated AFI chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair. Up until May 2022, he instructed javelin coaches and trained other athletes in the sport. Although he hasn't made up his mind, we had hoped he would continue to coach young athletes."
At training camps and major tournaments, Bartonietz has always supported Chopra by offering great technical advice and support for the mental domain. Bartonietz once stated about Chopra, "He is a very hard worker and mentally tough." Neeraj is as aware of his body and the situation as a Formula One driver is of every detail of their vehicle."
Bartonietz has essentially been instrumental in India's winning a myriad of laurels globally with Indian athletes, and his association with Chopra has been pivotal to the amplification of Indian athletics, not only on the domestic circuit but at the world level as well. With Bartonietz leaving, the onus will be on the future for the AFI, but the German coach's outstanding inputs to India's javelin program shall live to be remembered.
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Defeated delimitation bill in Parliament to defend idea of India: Cong leader Rahul Gandhi
Chennai (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the opposition parties defeated the delimitation bill in the Parliament on Friday to defend the "idea of India."
Addressing a poll rally at Ponneri here, he said the BJP-led government at the Centre brought a new bill on April 16, and said they were trying to pass the women's bill, which he said was passed in 2023.
"In the so-called Women's Bill, delimitation was hidden. The idea was to reduce Tamil Nadu's representation in the Union of India... the delimitation move by BJP was to weaken the strength of southern states, small states, north eastern states," he alleged.
"We defeated in Parliament, a bill in which delimitation was hidden; we defeated it to defend the idea of India."
Rahul added that India that is Bharat, is a union of states, and every single state should have a voice, be free to express itself, and protect its tradition.
