Blow ahead of 2016 Rio Olympics: Arpinder Singh's dream to train in US is all but over

New Delhi: Indian ace triple jumper Arpinder Singh's dream of training in the United States ahead of the Rio Olympics 2016 had suffered a setback.

According to a Times of India report, the Athletics Federation of India's (AFI) lukewarm response to Arpinder's dream of training under internationally renowned coach Jeremy Fischer at the Chula Vista High Performance Centre meant that the admission is now closed at the centre.

The report further said that Arpinder is now looking to get himself enrolled at an England-based training centre, whose registration process will begin soon.

Earlier, Arpinder, who is part of the sports ministry's ambitious Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS), was promised by ministry officials that he can choose any training centre in the run-up to the bigget sporting extravaganza. However, the promise hasn't been fulfilled.

Arpinder refused to comment on this development but confirmed to TOI that he is now trying to get himself enrolled in the England-based centre. However, Arpinder's personal coach SS Pannu lamented AFI's delay and asserted that training in England would be several notches below what Arpinder would have got in the US.