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NEW DELHI: From swimming in a makeshift pool on a farm with turtles and fish to fencing in with a doll on a terrace, closet athletes from India are finding new ways to stay in shape.
Postponing the 2020 Olympics for a year has given SP Likith, India’s best breaststroke swimmer, extra time to reach the qualifying time of 59.93 seconds for the 100 meters.
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He has been trapped on his trainer’s farm in Karnataka state since February and is now swimming in a tank already inhabited by wildlife that normally supplies water for crops and vegetables.
The 21-year-old from Bangalore, who still has to shave two seconds off his best personal mark to qualify, told AFP that he was “fortunate” to have the 20-meter-long tank where coach Partha Varanashi drills 15 swimmers in total.
“The only difference (from a pool) is … the water is not clear at all, there are fish and turtles and we don’t have lanes,” Likith said with a laugh.
“It is not boring, it is fun. Right now our main goal is to keep our immunity high, so there are only five or six swimming sessions a week and the rest is yoga and whatnot.”
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ENCLOSED BY DUMMIES
Fencer Bhavani Devi has been in quarantine and training alone at his home in the southern city of Chennai since he returned from Italy on March 15.
The 26-year-old saber fencer trains with a doll on the terrace of her home.
Bhavani Devi hides a mannequin on his rooftop terrace in Chennai, having been isolated since returning from Italy more than a month ago. (Photo: AFP / Brochure)
“This is not a new idea for me, when I started fencing we used to play with sticks and train targets by putting a mask or target pad on the wall,” said Devi, who in 2017 became the first Indian to win fencing. . World Cup event.
Devi, who is more used to the luxurious facilities of leading Italian coach Nicola Zanotti in Livorno, said it was imperative to keep a positive mind during the crisis.
“This period is for me to better prepare myself with the available sources and be ready when things resume,” he said.
“At the same time, being home for so long is more special to me after many years. That also gives me more energy.”
MENTAL DRAIN
India’s best 400-meter sprinter, Muhammed Anas, aiming for a second consecutive Olympiad, admitted that the blockade has negatively affected his preparations.
Anas, part of the mixed 4x400m relay team, moved to the National Sports Institute in Patiala in February and stayed there as the number of coronavirus cases in India increased.
“For an athlete like me, who spends most of his time training outdoors, the block sometimes exhausts me mentally,” said the 25-year-old, who won a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games.
But indoor training, some “light entertainment” and keeping in touch with family and friends have helped overcome “mental strain.”
Uncertainty about whether the Olympics will ever take place weighs on all athletes. “It does bother a little bit,” Anas said.
“But I’m more of a person half full of glass, so I’m looking at the brighter side right now as I have more time to train.”
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