STILL OPTIMISTIC

■ The pigeon-flying competition was scheduled to be held in early April under the aegis of Rahmat Pigeon Club. But Ansari has not lost hope and he has begun preparations for next time.

■ It’s not only Ansari, but the cancellation of competitions left ‘Kabootarbazes’ (those engaged in pigeon flying sport) in other districts of Uttar Pradesh, especially Lucknow, where the sport is widely participated in, dejected. However, they said ‘whatever it happening is for the good’.

■ Like Ansari, 25 others competitors are using the lockdown time to train their pigeons, feed them nutritious diet and multi-vitamin tablets and most importantly, sanitising them regularly with a desi formulation of phitkari and water to ensure that Covid-19 does not infect the birds.