Coronavirus: Olympics training off-track

Vinayak Padmadeo in New Delhi

Skeet shooter Angad Vir Singh Bajwa is absolutely frustrated. All his training plans for the Tokyo Olympics, scheduled for July-August this year, have gone haywire due to the coronavirus pandemic. His first competitive tournament in the lead-up to the Olympics would have been the ISSF World Cup in Cyprus, organised on March 4-13, but the National Rifle Association of India withdrew from the event following the outbreak.

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The New Delhi World Cup, where he was scheduled to participate next this month, too, has been postponed. His preparations took the biggest hit when the Tokyo Olympic Games Test Event for shooting was cancelled. This invitational event was for quota winners, and Angad, like all other shooters, was looking forward to shooting at the ranges which would later host the Olympics event. The loss of competitions has been compounded by the government’s decision to withhold visas to foreigners — his personal coach Tore Brovold will not be able to join him in India.

Wrestling, another marquee sport for India, has also been hit hard. The Asia/Oceania Olympic Qualifying tournament, scheduled to be held in Kyrgyzstan, has been postponed. Vinesh Phogat, a medal contender in Tokyo, has been asked to cut short her training stint in Norway and return. She may even be quarantined for a few days on her return. Meanwhile, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who is training in Antalya, Turkey, has also been asked to go for a mandatory medical check-up before returning to India.

The postponement of the Indian Grand Prix (IGPs) and the Federation Cup will be a major problem for our track and field stars. The first IGP was scheduled to be held in Patiala on March 20, followed by in Sangrur on March 25 and New Delhi on March 29. The Delhi government’s decision to ban seminars, conferences and sports activities has led to the cancellation of the Delhi leg; the Patiala and Sangrur events have also come under a cloud.

Indian boxers, especially those who have not qualified for the Games yet, have taken the hardest hit. Their plan to train in France before the World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, scheduled to be held in Paris from May 13, seems to have gone for a toss. “Don’t know whether we will get to train there. We still have time but it looks highly unlikely that we will go,” said a boxing federation official.

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