National competitions should resume from October if things go well: Narinder Batra

Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra on Wednesday mentioned the governing physique hopes to see nationwide occasions kickstart from October offered the COVID-19 state of affairs “does not go bad” within the nation.

Batra additionally mentioned easing of restrictions for contact sports activities like boxing and wrestling appears unlikely till a therapy for COVID-19 or a vaccine is developed as there’s a larger threat of transmission of the virus.

“If I’m not wrong we should be seeing national championship, competitions coming up from October provided things don’t go bad,” Batra mentioned in a webinar organised by FICCI.

“That’s the internal strategy for now, depending upon the situation and way things pan out,” he added.

All sporting actions within the nation had been delivered to a grinding halt on March 25 after the central authorities introduced a nationwide lockdown to struggle towards coronavirus outbreak. The National Games to be held in Goa later this 12 months had been additionally postponed.

However, sportspersons heaved a sigh of aid when the federal government, on May 17, permitted using stadia and sports activities complexes with out spectators and beneath strict tips, permitting the athletes to return to out of doors coaching.Last week, the elite athletes getting ready for the Tokyo Games began out of doors coaching.

However, the destiny of the contact sports activities continues to be unsure because the Sports Authority of India prohibited sparring for contact disciplines.

“Contact sports is still a concern. I’ll be very honest I have no solution for it. In contact sports you sweat a lot, so whether sweat carries that thing or not because they are coming in contact with each other. I dont know how long this will carry,” he mentioned.

For contact sports activities, the SAI SOP solely permits particular person coaching with out participating in bodily fight with different athletes.

“One thing is for sure, if a vaccination or some treatment is to come, then these things are not to be worried about, but right now we do have some concerns about contact sports like boxing, wrestling.

“When we have some kind of proven treatment comes for COVID-19 then only relaxations will come in,” he mentioned.

Batra mentioned it can take athletes two to 3 months to restart full coaching as they must begin from the fundamentals.”Lots of issues are taking place on-line with coaches monitoring the gamers. But regardless, if you’re doing all this at dwelling, your output won’t be greater than 40 to 50 p.c.

“So, all athletes when they come back to training now like the ones in Patiala and Bengaluru, they are all starting with a basic load and not a full load.

“It is going to be a process spread over two or three months, but again depending upon the situation around the pandemic. Right now, every athlete who has qualified for the Olympics or is in line for the Olympics is in our radar,” he mentioned.