IOA president expresses satisfaction with efforts to provide Indian athletes best support in Paris Olympics

Having returned from a visit to Paris to finalise arrangements, Usha said IOA has initiated steps to ensure athlete comfort and their wellness. "Besides putting together a strong sports science support team under the leadership of renowned Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, we have ensured that our shooters and golfers stay close to their respective venues," she said.

"We have also been able to secure accommodation for a number of sports-specific support staff a short distance away from the Athletes' Village. It is a known fact that not all of them can be accommodated in the Village at the same time. We want to ensure no athletes are devoid of their support system and hence we have booked apartments in the vicinity," she added.

PT Usha said that as an athlete and coach, she has seen the evolution of the support system for the country's athletes.

"They have become very professional in the approach to training and competition. I believe it is our duty to ensure that have similar, if not better, support during the Olympic Games. It is for this reason that we will have apartments for the support staff," she said, according to a IOA release.

The former Olympian also said that she had met members of the diaspora and many French-speaking Indians have stepped forward as volunteers to be assistance to the Indian contingent. "I am grateful to the Ambassador of India to France HE Mr. Jawed Ashraf and his team for helping us ensure that our athletes will be well supported and looked after in Paris," she added.

Earlier the IOA delegation led by PT Usha visited the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne. "We were honoured to be invited by the IOC. The highlight was a meeting with IOC President Thomas Bach. It was a productive couple. of days, where we interacted with a number of departments and gained crucial insights," she said. (ANI)