The ministry of home aairs has given goahead to the reopening of sports stadiums without
spectators, allowing elite athletes to resume their practice and workouts. Sportstar speaks to top athletes to nd out their views on resumption of outdoor training.
The central ministry of home aairs (MHA) has given goahead to the reopening of sports stadiums without spectators. This allows elite athletes, many of who are stuck in their hostel rooms at various Sports Authority of India (SAI) centres across the country, to resume their practice and workouts. The athletes have been restricted since midmarch when the nation went into lockdown mode because of the coronavirus pandemic. Sportstar speaks to top athletes across disciplines to nd out their views on resumption of outdoor training.
CRICKET
Faiz Fazal (Vidarbha)
When I think about the future, I don’t nd an answer to when cricket will resume again. Right now, it is very risky to step out and train. It’s a very dangerous phase and we should not be careless in our approach. Ultimately, human lives are very important and that’s the priority now. No matter how much protection you take, it may be dicult to tackle the virus. It is important to stay at home and build your immunity. We are having training sessions at home via Zoom app and will continue doing that for now.
Shreevats Goswami (Bengal/sunrisers Hyderabad)
Hopefully, the situation post the monsoon will improve and we will reach a point where the players can go out and train. In this uncertain scenario, the scheduling of domestic season needs to be looked into as well. Some reports suggest the IPL (Indian Premier League) could be held in Septemberoctober, in which case the domestic season will be pushed back anyway. That said, there are too many variables at play, interstate travelling being a major challenge. Sometimes we play Ranji matches at these farung venues where ensuring norms of social distancing can be quite a task. Then there are concerns about hygiene, sanitising our hotels and kits. All these need to be taken into consideration.
Riyan Parag (Assam/rajasthan Royals)
Personally, I will let it settle down. We had a few cases in Guwahati recently, so I would like to stay indoors till it’s all safe. Safety is the utmost concern. We live in a at, and there is some space, so I can do some exercises and other training. At this point, it’s about how mentally tough you are.
Sarfaraz Khan (Mumbai/kings XI Punjab)
It feels good to know that stadiums are opening. The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is our parent and whenever they announce that training or matches can start, we will gain motivation and do so. Cricket or any sport starting will be a positive sign. As of now, I am in my maternal home in Chhatarpur village in Uttar Pradesh and I can’t travel. There are agricultural elds here. I do one day of longdistance running followed by a shortdistance one, then agility and weight training with the help of my father.
FOOTBALL
Michael Soosairaj (ATK FC)
I don’t feel it is the right time to train. There are so many people suering and there will be a constant sense of fear at the back of our minds and we won’t be able to train peacefully. Since it is anyway our oseason, I feel it is better to begin once the cases reduce.
Edwin Vanspaul (Chennaiyin FC)
It’s a welcome directive. It’s been over two months since anyone had any kind of activity. So this will be useful for both individual sports and team sports athletes, but only if it’s done with the right precautions and guidelines. I am in the oseason now and training at a ground near my home. In the morning, I am working out between 6am and 7am. I am doing ball exercises and power workouts.
Anirudh Thapa (Chennaiyin FC)
It is a welcome gesture. I am sure all the necessary precautions are being taken by the government and management at dierent sports complexes. Keeping that in mind, I am open to the idea of going out to train, of course while maintaining all the guidelines for personal safety. I think the authorities are leaving no stone unturned to contain the virus and create a safe environment for the citizens.
Nivetha R., (coach, Tamil Nadu women’s football team)
The MHA has made this provision for athletes heading to international competitions, like the Olympics, for example. It is directed more at individual athletes. This isn’t suitable for team sports and hence has created some confusion. Many think that stadiums are being opened so things will go back to older routines. That isn’t the case though. We can handle tness at home because some kind of minimum training equipment will be there, but it won’t help them give their 100 percent. So this call is to give them an environment to get back to full potential. We are staying put as we don’t have directives yet. With the rate of infection still high, it will take some time and a lot of planning to get back.
BOXING
Ashish Kumar
Staying at home and training was dicult because the facilities and equipment aren’t as good. The training camp idea and opening up facilities for us is a good idea but only if we follow the rules put in place for our safety. Our preparation at home is never going to be as good as the one in a camp and so I think it’s a good idea.
Amit Panghal
The focus will be more on the skill aspect as individually we were training on tness during the lockdown. Also, the condence will be less owing to the nature of the pandemic, but I am sure we will nd our way back. I think the camp will start after May 31 either at SAI Rohtak or SAI Sonipat. We are awaiting ocial conrmation.
TENNIS
Prajnesh Gunneswaran
The moment any of the tennis courts open I will start practice... The tennis court is pretty open and there aren’t going to be many people on the court and it should be ne. I will try my best not to touch my face while playing and use a sweatband instead. There’s only so much I can do to prevent it. When I go to the supermarket, I don’t think it’s less risky than going to a tennis court. After a point, I guess we just have to hope we don’t get it and try to be safe and go forward and resume regular activities as much as possible.
TABLE TENNIS
Ayhika Mukherjee
All of us, of course, are going through a very rough phase. I wouldn’t choose to go out to practise in the current situation. I’d rather stay home, follow the government guidelines and continue working on my mental and physical tness.
Archana Kamath
There is some amount of fear, but I think that’s normal. Having said that, just like all the other athletes, I am also itching to get back to playing and training. But assessing the situation is equally important. In the end, whatever the seniors and the federation decide, I will go by that. They know much better.
Sanil Shetty
We got an email from the federation (Table Tennis Federation of India) whereby they have enlisted eight names. The federation has asked for our thoughts on the training camp, which may start from the end of May. I feel it’s too early to start. While travelling, I would constantly have the fear of falling ill or contracting the virus. Most players have managed to arrange for training from home for the next two months. If there’s no vaccine, there’s always a chance (of falling sick), irrespective of the precautions you take.
WRESTLING
Bajrang Punia
I welcome the government’s decision. The Olympics are coming up and this decision has been taken keeping that in mind. As athletes, coaches and volunteers, we have a collective responsibility to be safe and responsible in public. We will know what kind of precautions and arrangements the government has made only when we get there and see it ourselves.
ATHLETICS
Jinson Johnson
We haven’t received any ocial statement as of now and we will only start once we get the orders. I will start slowly and won’t push too hard as acclimatisation will be the key here. Moreover, social distancing is a must and masks have already become the norm. It will be interesting how we train outdoors. We will follow all the guidelines strictly.
Muhammed Anas
Fitnesswise, it won’t matter much as we are already doing our training. The only dierence is that we will be able to train under guidance of our coach Galina Bukharina and will be able to run on the track, which is very important once proper training starts. We need to be on the track. At NIS (National Institute of Sport) Patiala, we are in a safe
environment as they are following all rules to protect us. We are maintaining our tness in the given space available inside the hostel campus and are looking forward to train on the track.
M. R. Poovamma We are already training in a lawn and the only dierence is there will be a coach, which will be good. Having said that, we will stick to the guidelines and maintain social distancing. Except for the exchange of the baton, I don’t feel there will be a major issue. There is time for the Olympic qualiers and also for the Asian Championships. So we will train individually and take a measured approach.
PARA-ATHLETICS
Ekta Bhyan
We are yet to receive an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) regarding the training protocol for paraathletes. So we’re going to wait. We are dependent on assistance and we need arrangements to be made if we’re allowed to head out to stadiums to train. My dependence on my assisted device – my wheelchair – puts me and others like me at higher risk because keeping surfaces clean and virusfree, especially when we’re dependent on others, is hard. Our dependence also makes it hard to maintain social distancing properly. Add to that, those with spinal injuries come with impaired respiratory systems and that makes us more vulnerable to this virus. I hope these are considered when a protocol is devised for us.
SHOOTING
Divyansh Singh Panwar
To be honest, I was waiting for this decision for quite some days now, so that I could practise properly. Although we had a makeshift range set up at coach Deepak (Kumar Dubey) sir’s apartment, I must say that shooting at an international range, where all the big competitions are organised, gives you a dierent kind of energy and condence. No, I am not hesitant to train during the pandemic. If international events begin shortly, I will surely take part, given the fact that we have already missed some major tournaments because of the COVID19 pandemic.
Manu Bhaker
For now, I am not looking to take part in any outdoor training sessions. I am already training at my makeshift range at home, so there’s no point venturing out. However, if international events resume, I will surely be participating in those. That said, if possible, till the whole COVID graph attens out, I would like to keep away from any type of camps.
BASKETBALL
Vishesh Bhriguvanshi
I would like to go back to training only when I am assured that it’s safe to do so. I will go every day if I have a secure place. It’s dicult to go into a public space now. I would like to get some training done because it’s been two months without basketball. Whatever the government is saying regarding guidelines is dicult for basketball since it comes under Bcategory sports. They said, only ■10 players can practise and only 23 players can play together. It will be dicult for coaches to manage as well considering our sport is a team game. When I came to Dehradun, I didn’t know the lockdown was going to happen and I didn’t even have a treadmill at home.