As Chris Woakes edges pass the gully for a boundary to help England come from behind to beat Pakistan in a sensational run-chase in the first Test at Old Trafford on Saturday, thousands of kilometres away in Delhi, 13-year-old Kuvam Singh, a Joe Root fan, jumps in jubilation. For this cricket enthusiast, the thriller came as a big consolation. The southpaw, who trains at Pawan Arora Cricket Academy in Lajpat Nagar, has been locked down in his house for more than four months now following the outbreak of COVID-19.
Though the Delhi government has allowed students and professional players to resume training in stadiums and sports complexes run by the Directorate of Education (DoE) with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) last month, the parents of Kuvam are yet to allow him to resume practice. Their disquiet is quite justified. On Sunday, the national capital recorded fresh 1,300 coronavirus cases, taking the cumulative tally past 1.45 lakh mark. The city also recorded 13 new cases of deaths, taking the death toll to 4,111. Pawan Arora, Kuvam’s coach, says most parents are hesitant to send their children for training fearing infection.
“After such a long gap, the first thing that I need to focus on is my fitness. Only after getting fit, I can participate in big tournaments,” Kuvam says. With no physical activities, his mother says, the lockdown has taken a toll on his health. “Usually, Kuvam would head for the academy soon after returning from his school. Even when the academy is closed he would practice in a nearby field,” she says.
However, with the government allowing training in stadiums and other sports facilities without spectators, senior athletes are cautiously stepping out for training. The players feel that training sessions may not be the same for the first few months, given the COVID-19 safety guidelines. Several instructors say the resumption of sports activities was required since players have lost precious training time because of the lockdown.
According to the SOPs, the sports activities will resume in three phases, with only 5-10 people being allowed initially. It will be followed by larger groups and then full training by teams and sports competitions. “The SOPs have been made to ensure that sportspersons can utilise the facilities without compromising the health of the users as well as the community at large,” the SOPs stated. Depending on the extent of physical contact during the training, sports have been divided into three categories. For instance, in sports where there is minimal contact such as archery, shooting, cycling and athletics, there should be a social distance of 1.5 to 2 metres between the players and the staff, according to the rules.
For football, volleyball, hockey and basketball there can a limited physical contact, sharing of equipment and a maximum of three can train together. The pitch will also be divided into three to four parts for different groups. “The players will stick to their groups to avoid the spread of infection, in case anyone is tested positive for COVID-19,” the SOPs stated. “All those visiting the centres will be screened. There shall be proper sanitising equipment at the main entrance. A written confirmation shall be submitted before entering the premises by every sportsperson declaring their COVID-19 symptom-free condition,” the SOPs added.
“Personal training equipment carried by a player will have to be first disinfected. Government app Arogya Setu is mandatory for all athletes and staff. The facilities will open from 6:30 to 9:30 am and from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. A five-member core group of sportspersons has been set up to take feedback and report to the government,” they added. In Delhi, there are around 32 sports complexes and three stadiums which are operated under the DoE’s branch. The three stadiums include Chhatrasal, Thyagaraj and Bawana, while the sports complexes are located in areas such as Najafgarh, Mundhela Kalan, Ludlow Castle, East Vinod Nagar and others.
“This is the ninth week of training since the lockdown was relaxed. Earlier, we were training three people at a time. Now, we are focusing only on one. We are abiding by the social distancing norms. In the first four weeks, we focused only on the fitness part. The children are back after a long gap and, therefore, we are ensuring their fitness and safety as well, “ says Vijay Sharma, a national weightlifting coach at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Tanveer Gill, a coach at Surjit Singh Badminton Academy, says of his around 100 students, hardly three-four are coming for training. “Only professional players are returning to the court. Children are preferring to stay indoors. We have also prepared diet charts to boost their immunity in view of the prevalent situation,” says Gill.
Fitness crisis
Owing to the long practice gap, the coaches believe initially it will be a big challenge for sportspersons to get back to their previous shape. “Sports is also about how fit are you psychologically. We do have online sessions which focus on students’ fitness. But that is not enough if they want to be professional players. Some of those who returned to the court couldn’t even breathe for more than five minutes initially. We are already lagging,” Gill adds. Arora admits that his students are not 100 per cent fit to compete in any tournament right now.“They are currently out of form. Many have put on some weight. They will have to first regain their physical fitness and then concentrate on their form,” he adds.
Missing out on opportunities
“2020 is probably the last chance for some of them to play under-15 or under-18 tournaments. From next year, they may have to compete with their seniors,” Arora says. Gill fears many players may quit the game owing to the gap or lack of fitness. “There is an adage: practice makes a man perfect, and in sports, it is more relevant because without training, a player can never improve his or her skills. I fear many may slip into depression if detached from their game for too long, “ he adds.
‘Focusing on fitness and safety’
Vijay Sharma, a weight-lifting coach at JLN Stadium, says they are abiding by the social distancing norms. “In the first four weeks, we focused only on fitness. Since the children are back after a long gap, we are ensuring their safety as well, “ he says.