CHENNAI: When he boarded a flight for Aizawl on Wednesday, Jeremy Lalrinnunga knew he wouldn’t be able to rush home immediately after landing in the Mizoram capital.The weightlifter knew there was a mandatory quarantine period to be completed before he could reunite with his family after almost two years. But the 17-year-old was so homesick that he accepted the offer.“I boarded a flight from Delhi and reached Aizawl via Kolkata. I was tested for coronavirus at the airport and brought to the sports training centre here,” the 2018 Youth Olympic champion said.
The centre is about five minutes from his home but given the Covid-19 protocols Jeremy has to follow, he cannot visit his parents and brothers. “My aunt stays in the vicinity. My parents and brothers come to her place every day so that they can see me. I cannot go out but I see them and talk to them maintaining the prescribed distance,” added the 67kg weightlifter.
Jeremy is stationed in a room on the ground floor, while the warden of the centre stays on the second floor. “I am the only one quarantined here at the moment. The warden provides food and basic stuff. Basic needs are not a problem as my family lives nearby. I wanted to live in the comfort of my home but I cannot do that unless I am declared infection free.”
He is waiting for the test result, but even if it comes negative, Jeremy might have to complete 14 days in self-isolation. “I am not sure as somebody was saying that the quarantine period can stretch up to 22 days. At the moment, it is 14 and I have no problem serving it.”Before undertaking the journey, Jeremy had told his father Lalneihtluanga to shift his weightlifting equipment to the centre. “Sports Authority of India provided me the equipment including barbell, weights and movable wooden platforms. All those were shifted to the centre before my arrival so that I could continue training,” he said.
The teenager is doing physical exercises in the morning and light weightlifting in the evening. “I keep my coach Vijay Sharma updated about my routines. If I face difficulties, I send videos seeking his response. Anyways, we trained in Patiala during lockdown to keep fit. I am looking at the positive aspect and confident that I can continue preparing for the Olympic qualifying event.”
Jeremy got a month’s leave to rejuvenate himself. After 14 days of quarantine, he will get around 15 days to stay with his family before returning to Patiala and serving another 14-day quarantine period. But he is looking forward to spending quality time with his near ones before returning to his rigorous training regime.