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From Joginder Sharma to Gagan Ajit Singh: Former India athletes on COVID-19 frontline
Kumar, a 2006 Commonwealth Games champion, is one of the many former athletes who is on frontline duty in India during the three-week lockdown period due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Former boxer Akhil Kumar was sitting in his official vehicle on the Delhi-Jaipur highway when he noticed a family of migrant workers walking with their luggage on their heads. Apart from the luggage, the man was also carrying his daughter in his arms. “I stepped out of the car and offered them some biscuits and water—whatever I had at that point of time,” says Kumar, who is now an Assistant Commissioner of Police (traffic) in Gurugram. “In no time, I saw hundreds more coming towards me. I didn’t know who to help or who not to.”
Kumar, a 2006 Commonwealth Games champion, is one of the many former athletes who is on frontline duty in India during the three-week lockdown period due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I have never seen such scenes in my life. It has been difficult,” says Kumar. “I have tried to help people but how do you help a migrant worker who has no choice but to walk 600km to his home?”
An Olympian, Kumar has also been busy since the lockdown began, sealing the Delhi-Haryana border. “Initially there was a lot of difficulty. Some cooperated but some didn’t. There are always some people who don’t abide by the rules.”
Like Kumar, Joginder Sharma is also employed with Haryana Police. Currently posted in Hisar, Sharma bowled the final over of the 2007 World T20 which the MS Dhoni-led Indian team won.
Till recently, Sharma had no problem giving an autograph or posing for a selfie during duty. But now things have changed with social distancing becoming the new norm.
“I have to patrol the city a lot. There have been many occasions when I am briefing people on how to tackle coronavirus and they have taken out mobiles and started taking selfies,” says Sharma. “I discourage it and ask them concentrate on what I am saying.”
Battling the situation has its risks as the police have to be available 24x7. “The patrolling duty has increased. Earlier I was involved in investigation, maintaining security in public meetings. Now that has stopped,” says the former all-rounder. “We now have to inform people about this medical emergency. While we have the responsibility of spreading awareness, we have to save ourselves too.”
Former Indian hockey team’s star forward, Gagan Ajit Singh, employed with Punjab Police in Amritsar, has been busy in enforcing law and order in his area; he is also been distributing food parcels to the needy.
“The risk is high but duty comes first. We are taking all necessary precautions,” says Gagan.
Gagan’s former captain Rajpal Singh, also with Punjab police and posted in Mohali district, had his hands full during the initial days of the national lockdown.
“We had a tough time in making people understand the difference between lockdown and curfew,” Rajpal says. “At times we had to impound vehicles.”
Like Gagan, Rajpal has also been involved in arranging food and essential items for the slums in his district. “Many hockey players approached me and said that they want to contribute in providing food to the underprivileged. We have identified 30 families that will contribute funds to feed the needy,” says Rajpal.
Harwant Kaur, former discus thrower who has participated in the Olympics and is also a Commonwealth Games medallist, is with the women and child cell in Patiala. Kaur helped a girl travel from Punjab to Haryana, despite the state borders being sealed, to attend to her ailing mother.
“Her mother was dying,” Kaur says. “So I arranged her travel with the help of my colleague, who coordinated with the Haryana Police,” says Kaur. “I also got calls from elderly couples whose kids are settled abroad. They panicked about the limited stock of ration. I delivered them the grocery items they required.”
Harendra Singh, who has coached both the men’s and women’s national teams in hockey, is today the Air India General Manager at the New Delhi International Airport. Harendra was also a part of Air India’s twin rescue operations from Wuhan, China. All ground related preparations and logistical arrangements were planned and executed under his leadership.
Once those flights reached a remote bay of the airport in end February and early March, Harendra -- wearing a hazmat suit -- was in charge of the safe disembarkation of passengers and luggage.
