CHENNAI: When the Tokyo Olympics was postponed to 2021, there was one big concern for the athletes who had already qualified. What happens to the spot they earned? With the International Olympic Committee (IOC) clarifying its stand on this on Friday - those who have already qualified will keep those spots - athletes all over the world were relieved.
In India, some feel this has made their build-up to the postponed Games tension-free. There are others who have apprehensions. Race walker KT Irfan, the first track and field athlete from the sub-continent to qualify for the Olympics, thinks the IOC’s decision will let them approach training in a relaxed manner. According to him, having a longer off-season and more time to focus on techniques are the biggest plus points. “Normally, off-season lasts one or two months. Now, we can extend it to three or four. For walkers, it is an opportunity to do more of long walks (40-50km).
If we keep doing that, 20km will become easier. We can also spend time on building core strength. For example, the iron man workout is very important to build muscle strength. If we can spend more time on that, it will help in the long run,” Irfan told this daily. However, all this might also prove to be of no use, if the COVID-19 situation in the country doesn’t improve. With all the Olympic-bound athletes, who are in national camps, in lockdown, there is uncertainty over when they can resume training. For javelin thrower Shivpal Singh, the possibility of not being in form is worrying.
“I am happy with IOC’s decision as I don’t have to worry about qualification again. But it also has negatives. I am worried that all the hard work I have done in the last few months will be gone, with no competition to be held. I am not even allowed to train. I don’t know how long I have to wait,” he said Shivpal, who was hoping to breach the 90m mark at the now postponed Federation Cup, is also worried about fitness and feels he has gained weight in these few days. “The exercises I have been doing indoors haven’t helped much. In South Africa, I felt I was in my prime. I was able to qualify without much effort after a long break. But now, I am worried that I am losing that momentum.”