Swimming academies and training centres in the city have once again been left in the lurch once again due to sudden spurt in Covid cases and the Omicron scare. After being shut down for several months, it was recently that the pools were reopened to public adhering to Covid protocols.
Chandrakumar P, a qualified coach at the Technopark Club for the past 16 years, says “Before the pandemic, the swimming pool was always crowded with IT employees and their families who used to come daily for classes. However, ever since the pandemic struck the number of IT employees visiting here has decreased. Many of them are working from home.”
The coach also said that after the lockdown, when the swimming pools reopened, only vaccinated people and those who took RT-PCR tests were allowed inside the pool. “Proper filtration and chlorination processes are followed to prevent the chances of spread of the virus through the water. However, people are keeping away from the pools as a precautionary measure. This has forced us to remain closed. Even other facilities at the club such as the gym are not functional,” he said.
Most of the swim centres had to bear the brunt as the summer camps usually held in April and May are closed. Due to the financial crisis, many swimming centres were either forced to pay partial salaries or let go of their staff. Coaches, lifeguards, and maintenance staff who are dependent on this field are struggling to stay afloat.While other kinds of sports have been able to limp back to normalcy, swimming academies and training centres have been one of the worst-hit without any hopes of a revival.
“We are following all the safety guidelines laid down by the government. All our staff has been vaccinated and currently, only adults who have completed both doses of vaccine are allowed. However, only a few people are turning up at the centre, as they are extra cautious,” said Sunil Basha, manager at Jimmy George Sports Hub Swimming Pool.
Entry restricted
After the lockdown, when the swimming pools reopened, only vaccinated people and those who had undergone RT-PCR tests were allowed inside the pool