How are COVID-19 travel restrictions hurting India's Tokyo Olympics preparations?
The new travel restrictions on India in light of the COVID-19 pandemic have cast a shadow over preparations for the Tokyo Olympics. The limitations have left athletes uncertain of whether they will be able to compete in international tournaments ahead of the quadrennial event.
As the clock ticks closer to Tokyo, it is crunch time for athletes eyeing Olympic quotas. Others, who are already qualified, have resorted to training at home, often without supervision or equipment. The ban has made it impossible for Indian athletes to travel abroad to training camps.
"I am lucky to have returned home just on time before the second wave hit India. Luckily, there is no lockdown now and I have been able to train with Raman Sir and Anirban Ghosh in Chennai. We were planning to bring foreign players to have quality practice sessions, but now everything has gone for a toss. All the remaining international tournaments have been canceled, so it is only a training phase for me till the Tokyo Olympics," one of India's top-ranked table tennis players, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran told Sportskeeda from his home.
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Wrestling: Last-minute relief
India's participation in the World Qualifiers was in jeopardy after the Netherlands imposed curbs on travel from India amid soaring coronavirus cases in the country.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) quickly swung into action, reaching out to top officials for clearance. The effort bore fruit, as the 12-member squad were finally able to board a flight to Sofia via Paris on Thursday night.
Shooting: World Cup canceled, hopes pinned on Europe tour ahead of Tokyo Olympics
The cancelation of the World Cup in Baku on April 26 came as a severe jolt to India's Olympic preparations. The tournament was expected to serve as a good preparatory ground for the Indian shooting team before they set foot in Tokyo.
"This is indeed a tough phase for all of us. I think it was a good decision to cancel the event, keeping our safety in mind. I'm sure we will bounce back and get on the track again. For the next two months, I am planning to compete in the Italian Grand Prix before heading to Tokyo," India's pioneer skeet shooter Mairaj Ahmed Khan told Sportskeeda.
Meanwhile, the Tokyo Olympics-bound shooters will fly to Croatia on May 11 to participate in the European Championships. They will stay back for training before leaving for Tokyo to compete at the Olympics in July.
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Badminton: Srikanth, Saina in race against time to qualify for Tokyo Olympics
As the qualification window edges nearer, the pressure to amass ranking points for top Indian shuttlers is heating up. The recent postponement of the India Open Super 500 tournament dashed hopes of shuttlers looking to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.
Former world No.1 shuttlers Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth will try to throw their hats in the fray for an Olympic berth. The duo have been hard-pressed for time as they have only two more opportunities to earn points for qualification.
Meanwhile, ongoing travel restrictions have cast a shadow over India's participation in the Malaysia Open and Singapore Open. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) is in touch with the respective badminton associations in Malaysia and Singapore to ensure smooth travel for the shuttlers.
Athletics: India's relay hopes suffer a blow
The 4x100m women’s and 4x400m men’s teams received a blow last week as they were barred from flying to Poland to compete in the World Relays. The teams missed their chance to gain the necessary quota spots to qualify for more athletic events at the Tokyo Olympics.
“It’s very sad we weren’t able to go to Poland. We had a great team and were confident of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. We had a great training for the past few days, our baton exchange practice also went well because I was in the national camp for the last month. The sad part is that all the hard work went in vain,” Dutee Chand told Sportskeeda in a recent interview.
The teams were originally expected to travel to Amsterdam on April 28, before it was canceled following the Dutch government's ban on passenger flights from India.
Muhammed Anas, Hima Das, Arokia Rajiv, and Dutee Chand were among the prominent athletes who were supposed to participate in the Olympic qualifying event. The 4x100m women’s team was believed to have the potential to make the Olympic cut.
Hockey: Pro League tours cloaked in a bubble of uncertainty
The current travel restrictions in Great Britain forced the national men's hockey team to pull out of the Pro League matches last week.
The squad was supposed to play the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League matches in Spain and Germany. India's chances of participation in the Pro League tours stand slim, with Germany and Spain imposing travel bans from India.
Boxing: No home advantage
India's virus resurgence threw the boxing contingent into disarray after the Asian Championships shifted its base from Delhi to Dubai on April 27. The event would have served as ideal preparatory competition for the Indian boxers in the build-up to the Tokyo Olympics.
The already-postponed continental event was scheduled to be held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in Delhi on May 21-31. With no home advantage to back on, boxers will be keen to put on their best show ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
Also Read: Tokyo Olympics: With under 100 days left, will India secure a century of berths at the Games?
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Sandeep Banerjee