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But in his same novel, Camus also wrote about continuing to fight in an effort to win back what you love the most. “Nothing in the world is worth turning your back on what you love,” wrote the Nobel laureate in ‘The Plague’.
The fight for the return of sport, and everything else that has been stopped due to the coronavirus, is similar.
But it will not be easy. Still, though, efforts are being made to get some sort of normalcy back on the playing field. But is it possible at all with a COVID-19 vaccine still possibly years away? Won’t it leave athletes vulnerable against an invisible enemy? Will fans return to the stands as before? Will fans be allowed to enter the stadiums?
Timesofindia.com asked these questions of a large number of athletes, former and current, as well as coaches and sports administrators.
PULLELA GOPICHAND
National Badminton Head Coach
“Hard times for sports and athletes, but in my opinion, sports should not stop. I think with the limited travel and opportunity we have, we should slowly try to have local groups or events that should take over, so that Players have a chance to have competition and people should have a chance to watch sports. But overall, I think big crowd gatherings will come out. So I think we should look at TV and online media to take the next level I would love to see the local sport grow in these times of restrictions. ”
VISWANATHAN ANAND
Five-time world chess champion
“I think all sports should start planning ahead of time for when they can take place again. I don’t expect it to be for several months, but the sport should start planning ahead of time. There will probably be a period when sports activity will be possible, but reduced. So there could be fewer events. People will have to settle for less. But it’s important to start the events again. For athletes, it’s important that they can start competing again, and hopefully, in that case, the sport will be ready when the situation returns to normal. ”
ABHINAV BINDRA
Gold medal winning Olympic shooter
“Sport can only reappear when the authorities consider it safe. Although there are floating ideas on the resumption of sport only for a television audience, they also have complications, economic and safety. The health of athletes and everyone involved in holding a sporting event must be paramount and until that can be guaranteed we must exercise a certain degree of patience. ”
ELENA NORMAN
CEO, Hockey India
“It’s always better to have a positive outlook, no matter what the circumstances. I think sport is resilient and there is always a place for sport in the world and we are confident that it will flourish again like everything else. Sport has always given stories positive from the world on what willpower and the ability to fight can do. It has the power to inspire millions of people around the world. It’s just a question of “when” really. Until then, we just have to stick with it. determined and keep looking for the best ways to stay motivated and ready to go. Until then, we will continue to work within the guidelines provided by the Central Government and find ways to make the most of the current situation we are currently facing. ”
GAGAN NARANG
Olympic bronze shooter
“I really don’t know if there is an answer to this (how can sports come back?). Railways / flights cannot be resumed because social distancing is not possible (on public transport). How can sports be resumed? I would like to for sports to come back once the coronavirus curve flattens out. But is it possible? That’s something virologists and doctors could say. It’s an unprecedented situation. You have to wait and watch. ”
SURESH RAINA
Indian cricket player
“It is certainly a difficult situation, where even if we get rid of COVID completely, we are never sure how safe we are until the vaccine is there. I think technology can play an important role here (for the sport to come back). We can think of virtual reality scenarios, where matches can be held in a very private setting with minimal staff, and viewers can join in via virtual reality for a better experience or by streaming on television, of course. The other possibility could be looking at limited viewers, being quarantined before games and tested before stadiums are allowed, although it will only work if we get instant or quick test results. ”
JASPAL RANA
National Junior Gun Shooting Coach and Former Indian Shooter
“For the next two or three months, I don’t think there will be any competition and they (shooters) shouldn’t go, even if there is one. The scope, the door handles, the escalators, the equipment and who’s cleaning up taking a taxi, signing records, using the same pen, many of those things are important. Why will they put their best athletes with Olympic prospects in jeopardy just to rush things? We have a year and a few months (formerly the Olympics in 2021) So we can still wait. We have a good team. We must protect them, we must not encourage them to go out. It is not really important to jump and try to do something just because nothing happens. Be patient and wait for the right time to go out. ”
ACHANTA SHARATH KAMAL
Indian table tennis player
“That is exactly what I am thinking too (how can sports come back?). Without the vaccine, I don’t think there can be any sport, because in a tournament, there is no social distancing. We have to play indoors, we train very up close, we are using the room, there are a lot of people in the room. I doubt if there will be any tournaments later this year. Recently, I read an article that even the Olympics (in 2021) are not sure either. I suppose it is because a unless we have a vaccine or a cure, how can we get so many athletes in the same place and get them to play? So it’s really a big, big question mark. It’s all very uncertain. ”
AJAY SINGHANIA
Secretary General, Badminton Association of India
“There is no clarity at the moment. We have to wait for the BWF (World Badminton Federation) to publish the calendar before drawing up the internal calendar and the exact start dates. We must also understand the government protocols related to social distancing and various other precautionary measures before the end of our future course. ”
MICHAEL NOBBS
Former Indian hockey coach
“It is essential that sport returns to the community as soon as it is safe. With our lives busy, how do we survive and make a living? How do we care for our sick? It is depressing and sport can give us a moment of relief from what it’s happening right now. Obviously it’s going to make it difficult without a vaccine. ”
“I’ve talked to some doctors about this. They said that of course a vaccine is the real answer; but if not, our second vision would be to have an HIV-like treatment, in that (find) a treatment that makes it not so That way, if enough people can be treated and the population can achieve 60 percent immunity, then a collective immunity can be established and that saves time even if a vaccine is not found. ”
“For viewers, one must have a current social distancing or quick and accurate tests on the premises.”
