CHENNAI: The deadly coronavirus has impacted the sporting calendar to a great extent, leading to either postponement or cancellation of several international events across the globe. The fast-spreading disease has also hit the Indian wrestlers hard as it forced them to cancel their overseas training programmes and train at home. The disease now seems to have started taking a toll on their plans for home training as well. The ongoing national camp for women wrestlers at the SAI Centre, Lucknow bears is a testimony to it. Around 40 wrestlers including those preparing for the Olympic qualifiers were supposed to train at the facility.
The actual number of participants, however, is around five at the moment. It was learnt that most of the campers decided to leave for their respective homes due to the coronavirus threat. “My daughter left the camp around a week ago to celebrate Holi. Moreover, the situation has been scary ever since the disease started spreading in the country. It’s better to stay away from a crowded place,” father of one of the wrestlers told this daily. Earlier, six wrestlers in Olympic weight categories were scheduled to train in Kiev, Ukraine for around two weeks to prepare for the Asian Olympic Games Qualifier.
The grapplers, however, decided to skip the foreign trip in the wake of the spread of coronavirus and train in Lucknow. Only Vinesh Phogat (53kg), the Commonwealth and Asian Games gold medallist, decided to train overseas but she was also called back by the government due to a rise in the number of cases. She flew back to the country from Norway a couple of days ago. Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik (62kg), Divya Kakran (68kg), Sonam Malik (62kg), Anshu Malik (57kg) and Nirmala (50kg) were among the wrestlers, who were supposed to train at the venue.
“I left Lucknow a few days ago as there were not enough sparring partners. Most of the wrestlers decided to train at their respective homes in the wake of coronavirus. At the moment, I am also training at a centre located in my home town. I can only think of returning back if other wrestlers decide to join the camp,” one of the campers said. “We will speak to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and seek its guidance. Given the situation, I don’t want to risk my daughter.
I know the federation will ensure safety but only a handful of wrestlers cannot train properly at the place. All the athletes must turn up to ensure the camp serves the purpose,” added the father. Meanwhile, WFI seems to be clueless about the issue. “Honestly, I am not aware of the falling attendance at the women’s national camp. I can only speak on it on Monday after gathering information from the authorities concerned,” said a WFI office-bearer.
He, however, admitted that the disease has disrupted all the plans of the federation and it might be a reason behind the women wrestlers’ collective decision to train at home. “Coronavirus forced both the male and female wrestlers to train in the country. Even Asian and World Olympic Qualifiers have been postponed due to the pandemic,” he added. In Delhi, Chhatrasal Stadium, where Sushil Kumar trains, has been shut till March 31 due to a health advisory issued by the Delhi government.