Weightlifters request Rijiju to allow resumption of training, say social distancing possible in practice hall

Country’s prime weightlifters, together with former world champion Mirabai Chanu, on Monday requested Sports Minster Kiren Rijiju to permit resumption of coaching on the earliest, insisting that their apply corridor is large enough to make sure social distancing. Training has been suspended throughout Sports Authority of India (SAI) centres since mid-March to comprise the COVID-19 pandemic, which has contaminated over 65,000 folks and brought on greater than 2,000 deaths in India. The lockdown is because of finish on May 17.

Rijiju interacted with the weightlifters, who’re at the moment stationed on the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, in a video convention, looking for their suggestions on resumption of coaching. “We all requested him to resume training as soon as possible because we need weight training. We have been working out but weight training is necessary for us,” Mirabai advised PTI.

Echoing Mirabai’s concern, nationwide coach Vijay Sharma mentioned social distancing will be ensured on the coaching corridor in Patiala. “It’s been almost two months since training was stopped. All the muscle mass has finished. The campus is sealed no one is coming inside or going out, so we can resume training,” Sharma mentioned.

“Our training hall is very big we can easily maintain a five metre distance between each weightlifter. We have 16 platforms and there are only nine weightlifters so we can easily maintain social distancing while training,” he added. Rijiju mentioned the views expressed by the lifters might be used to create a Standard Operating Procedure for coaching.

“I understand that our weightlifters need to get back to active training in view of the upcoming Olympics…The feedback that I have taken from athletes and chief coach today will be used to draft the SOP for weightlifting,” he mentioned in an announcement after the assembly.

“We want our athletes to start training but it cannot be at the cost of their health. We must take all necessary precautions before we take a decision,” he reiterated. The video convention was additionally attended by Sports Authority of India (SAI) Derector General Sandip Pradhan, Sports and Youth Affairs Secretary Ravi Mittal, officers from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and the Indian Weightlifting Federation.

“The minister has said they will bring out a solution within this week or by May 17,” Mirabai mentioned. Currently, 9 weightlifters, together with Mirabai, Youth Olympics gold-medallist Jeremy Lalrinnunga and two-time Commonwealth Games champion Sathish Sivalingam are on the camp in Patiala.

On Sunday, SAI fashioned a six-member committee to arrange a module for phased resumption of coaching throughout disciplines in any respect its centres as soon as the nationwide lockdown is lifted. Apart from weightlifters, Rijiju can even work together with track-and-field athletes and the Indian males’s and ladies’s hockey groups to take their view concerning the resumption of coaching.