India's javelin throw coach Uwe Hohn could be axed for non-performance

India’s chief national coach in javelin throw Uwe Hohn would be doubtful for the 2022 season as his contract might not get extended due to non-performance, a source at the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has revealed.

Uwe, a retired German track and field athlete, was appointed in November 2017 to oversee the javelin throw event in India. His contract was renewed from October 2020 until the Tokyo Olympic Games 2021.

“Hohn’s performance isn’t satisfactory. He was overseeing the training of both Shivpal Singh and Annu Rani. Both Shivpal and Annu were eliminated in the preliminary round in their respective groups at the Tokyo Olympic Games,” the AFI source said on condition of anonymity.

The AFI is expected to discuss the issue of non-performance of foreign coaches, including Uwe, associated with the Indian team shortly.

“The AFI will have an internal meeting next week to deliberate on the performance of foreign coaches at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Unsatisfactory performance means coaches' contracts will not be renewed,” the official said.

Eventual champion Neeraj Chopra and Shivpal Singh qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the men’s group by achieving the qualification standard of 85m while Annu Rani got a berth on the basis of her world ranking.

Both Shivpal and Annu failed to qualify for the final of their respective events in Tokyo.

As per the rules, the top 12 performers from the preliminary round enter the final. Shivpal’s best throw of 76.40m wasn't good enough to fetch him a place in the last 12. He was also short of his personal best of 86.23m that he achieved on his way to winning silver at the 2019 Doha Asian Championships.

Shivpal also recorded a throw of 85.27m in February 2020 in South Africa to qualify for the Olympics. Since then, he has failed to produce a similar performance.

Hohn's outburst regarding the lack of facilities a month prior to the Olympics didn’t go down well with both AFI and the Sports Authority of India.

His negative comments on the Olympic preparation camp in Patiala could be another reason why the German expert might lose his job.

“The controversy before the Tokyo Olympic Games was a big distraction for the athletes. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” said a javelin throw coach associated with the national camp.

Initially, Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra was training under Uwe. For reasons best known to Neeraj, they parted ways post his elbow surgery in May 2019. Since then, he has been training under Klaus Bartonietz, the German bio-mechanics expert in javelin. Meanwhile, Shivpal and Annu continued to train with Uwe.

"We were also expecting Shivpal and Annu to enter the final and repeat their personal best," the AFI official said.