Same place, same rooms: Trauma in the bio-bubble
Meltdowns, lack of practice, bubbles within bubbles - it was never going to be easy playing in the pandemic. Random ‘safety’ rules are now causing issues of their own
What’s really happening in these ‘bio-bubbles’ that big sporting events are creating around the world? It seemed to work just fine for the series that marked the restart of cricket, when the West Indies toured England (except for when Jofra Archer made a pit stop at home on his way from one ‘bubble’ to another, resulting in much hyperventilation and the fast bowler missing out on one Test).
Was Lisbon a bio-bubble for the Champions League? Scant information emerged. How did it run so smoothly? How do you get eight football teams, all their support staff, the officials and technical personnel, to play two weeks of football without a hitch?
The losing finalists, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), have now had three players test positive, but this is after the French club finished their 2020 European campaign.
From the US Open and IPL bio-bubbles, the news is confusing. Considering the devastation that Covid-19 continues to wreak in the US, it’s a miracle the Slam is happening at all. From the beginning, players were vocal in their opposition to many of the biobubble restrictions (this is different from most other bio-bubbles, where players have followed protocol without protest).
The guidelines included reduced support staff and mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival. Many players opted out, including Rafael Nadal, Simona Halep and Ashleigh Barty, citing travel concerns and difficulties dealing with the restrictions. Sumit Nagal, the only Indian player in the Singles draw, described his strange experience in dealing with the isolation of being in the bio-bubble, in an article for HT, where he lamented being in his favourite city and not being able to be out and about.
Then, this week, French player Benoit Paire tested positive in the US Open biobubble. Paire was withdrawn from the tournament, but the organisers also immediately changed their own protocols.
Those who came in contact with Paire were asked to sign a new agreement whereby, rather than go straight into 14-day quarantine, they would continue to play in the tournament, but under even stricter isolation and testing. Their access to common areas was taken away — they could leave their rooms only for practice and matches.
On the opening day of the tournament, Kristina Mladenovic of France confirmed she had been in close contact with Paire. “Let’s make it simple,” she said. “I’m allowed to play my match. I’m literally allowed to do nothing else. I don’t know how we’re going to be able to keep going.” Then Mladenovic suffered a spectacular collapse on court, losing a match in which she was cruising to victory. At the post-match presser, she was in tears. “It’s [been] a nightmare... here,” she said. “I have only one desire, and that’s to get my freedom back.”
The IPL’s bio-bubble in the UAE has also got a taste of the challenges ahead, with many Chennai Super Kings (CSK) staff and two players testing positive. CSK talisman Suresh Raina flew back to India, saying, “When the bio-bubble is not safe how does one take a chance?” Harbhajan Singh followed suit, though he did not offer an explanation. Lasith Malinga, another iconic player, has backed out.
West Indies captain Jason Holder spoke of how players in that bio-bubble were “worn out” by the “same place, same rooms...”. The players in the IPL bio-bubble have 80 days of “same place, same rooms” to reckon with. Perhaps they should organise a prep session with a submariner.