<p>India's athletics chief accused javelin coach Uwe Hohn of talking "nonsense" on Friday after the German said competitors had not been prepared properly for the Olympics.</p>.<p>Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla rejected the criticism from Hohn, the former world record-holder who said India's sports authorities "did not do enough" to give their athletes high-level competitive training.</p>.<p>"He is dealing with a country. He can't blackmail India and talk nonsense like this especially after being among the most highest-paid coaches," Sumariwalla told <em>AFP</em>.</p>.<p>"You are not dealing with a 1947 India (under British rule). We are an emerging superpower. Nobody can treat us like we are some third-rate people.</p>.<p>"Athletes don't want to train with him because of his attitude. The athletes went out and said that he is more interested in (training) his partner than us."</p>.<p>Hohn, 58, has coached India's javelin team for more than three years, including in 2018 when Neeraj Chopra became the country's first Commonwealth Games champion in the event.</p>.<p>"When I came here I thought I could change something but it's probably too difficult with these people at SAI (Sports Authority of India) or AFI," Hohn told the <em>Indian Express</em>.</p>.<p>"I don't know if it's lack of knowledge or ignorance. Beside camps or competitions, even when we ask via our nutritionist for supplements for our athletes, we don't get the right stuff."</p>.<p>Hohn added that he and biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz were "blackmailed" into signing their latest coaching contracts "otherwise we wouldn't have got paid anymore".</p>.<p>But Sumariwalla said Hohn is out of favour with the Indian athletes.</p>.<p>Chopra, 23, who has left the country to train and compete in Europe, had a falling-out with Hohn in 2018, and fellow throwers including Shivpal Singh and Annu Rani have spoken out against the coach recently.</p>.<p>Sumariwalla said Hohn's "frustration is because he could not go to Europe to train his partner — Australia's 2018 Commonwealth Games women's javelin gold winner Kathryn Mitchell. Don't take it out on me and my athletes".</p>.<p>Hohn told the <em>Express</em> that Mitchell had joined him at a few training sessions in Finland and South Africa in 2018-2019 and did throwing sessions separately.</p>.<p>"Kathryn also has a degree in human movement and shared her experience with Indian athletes. To bring something up like this means that they have no respect for me and my partner," he said.</p>.<p>Sumariwalla said that he intends to talk things out with Hohn ahead of the Covid-postponed Olympics.</p>.<p>India, despite its huge population, returned from the 2016 Rio Olympics with just two medals.</p>
<p>India's athletics chief accused javelin coach Uwe Hohn of talking "nonsense" on Friday after the German said competitors had not been prepared properly for the Olympics.</p>.<p>Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla rejected the criticism from Hohn, the former world record-holder who said India's sports authorities "did not do enough" to give their athletes high-level competitive training.</p>.<p>"He is dealing with a country. He can't blackmail India and talk nonsense like this especially after being among the most highest-paid coaches," Sumariwalla told <em>AFP</em>.</p>.<p>"You are not dealing with a 1947 India (under British rule). We are an emerging superpower. Nobody can treat us like we are some third-rate people.</p>.<p>"Athletes don't want to train with him because of his attitude. The athletes went out and said that he is more interested in (training) his partner than us."</p>.<p>Hohn, 58, has coached India's javelin team for more than three years, including in 2018 when Neeraj Chopra became the country's first Commonwealth Games champion in the event.</p>.<p>"When I came here I thought I could change something but it's probably too difficult with these people at SAI (Sports Authority of India) or AFI," Hohn told the <em>Indian Express</em>.</p>.<p>"I don't know if it's lack of knowledge or ignorance. Beside camps or competitions, even when we ask via our nutritionist for supplements for our athletes, we don't get the right stuff."</p>.<p>Hohn added that he and biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz were "blackmailed" into signing their latest coaching contracts "otherwise we wouldn't have got paid anymore".</p>.<p>But Sumariwalla said Hohn is out of favour with the Indian athletes.</p>.<p>Chopra, 23, who has left the country to train and compete in Europe, had a falling-out with Hohn in 2018, and fellow throwers including Shivpal Singh and Annu Rani have spoken out against the coach recently.</p>.<p>Sumariwalla said Hohn's "frustration is because he could not go to Europe to train his partner — Australia's 2018 Commonwealth Games women's javelin gold winner Kathryn Mitchell. Don't take it out on me and my athletes".</p>.<p>Hohn told the <em>Express</em> that Mitchell had joined him at a few training sessions in Finland and South Africa in 2018-2019 and did throwing sessions separately.</p>.<p>"Kathryn also has a degree in human movement and shared her experience with Indian athletes. To bring something up like this means that they have no respect for me and my partner," he said.</p>.<p>Sumariwalla said that he intends to talk things out with Hohn ahead of the Covid-postponed Olympics.</p>.<p>India, despite its huge population, returned from the 2016 Rio Olympics with just two medals.</p>