April 15. Right now, that date is an elixir to athletes. Something they are clinging on to with hope. All athletes are confined to their homes, something they are not used to. As experts say, the constitution of athletes is different from that of a normal individual. They expend a substantial amount of energy, take in a handsome amount of food and other supplements, they run, they work out…a life in cycle, day in and day out. No matter how much online training is on, nothing compares to hard physical work on the field. Ostensibly so, every athlete is looking at that date – April 15 — until when the sports ministry has cancelled all competitions, selections trials and training because of COVID-19.
Going by the trend right now, April 16 start seems unlikely. Even if training of athletes is considered at sanitised locations at Sports Authority of India premises, competitions are surely off. Training, perhaps, might be limited to those athletes who have qualified for the Olympics or are likely to qualify. As far as juniors are concerned, it will be prudent to not open camps for some time. Even parents and guardians are wary of sending their kids for training.
It’s a tricky situation for sports administrators too. They cannot avoid training for long and 21 days are an eternity. When they do start, players in some cases will have to begin again, like starting a new season, gradually getting into shape. The sports ministry has been discussing a future course of action with coaches and officials. There is a likelihood that a fresh training schedule will be chalked out by the NSFs and other facilitators. According to a top sports ministry official, even if consideration for training would be made, hosting events will have to wait. For example, Madhya Pradesh has banned hosting sporting events until April 30.
Another challenge would be to screen athletes who will join the camps. There are two set of campers in NIS Patiala (athletics and weightlifting) and Bengaluru (hockey and athletics) regional centre, all under lockdown. If the new set of athletes join them, then there might be risks because they would need to travel to reach the centres. Screening might be essential too, not just thermal screening. Will authorities risk athletes who are already there in the camp by allowing others to join? Or, will they have training of the new set of athletes at some other venue like Thirvanthapuram or Gandhinagar?
‘Clearer picture in a week’
Sports secretary RS Julaniya said the ministry will decide after taking into consideration the current scenario and will always abide by the health advisory like it had done earlier. While speaking with this daily, he said that a clearer picture will emerge next week around April 9. “We will consult with all stakeholders, the Indian Olympic Association, the national sports federations (NSFs) and the Sports Authority of India before arriving at a decision,” he said. “Our first priority is the health of our athletes, which we cannot compromise.”