Para athletes brace for rough ride

MUMBAI: Even in these unusual times, Rajinder Singh Rahelu tries to stick to his routine. The para powerlifting coach starts his mornings with conditioning, stretching

MUMBAI: Even in these unusual times, Rajinder Singh Rahelu tries to stick to his routine. The para powerlifting coach starts his mornings with conditioning, stretching and strengthening exercises before moving on to visualisation.

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However, the semblance of routine ends soon after.

Normally, Rahelu—the first powerlifter from India to win a Paralympic medal (56kg bronze, Athens 2004)—would go to the gymnasium at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Western Region headquarters in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and oversee the training of his wards.

But with SAI freezing coaching activity due to the nationwide lockdown, Rahelu now has no option but to interact with his trainees over phone, guiding and counselling them as they try to remain in shape, hoping for normal training to resume soon.

Rahelu, 46, is worried that his wards’ performance will take a hit if the situation continues, as they are unable to do their regular gym work at home. “Some lifters have their own bench press equipment at home but they can’t do regular competition weights, because they can’t keep such heavy weights at home. Daily gym work is very important in powerlifting,” Rahelu said over phone from Gandhinagar.

Rahelu feels that keeping in touch and motivating his trainees will help them tide over the circumstances. “We ask the trainees to post videos of workouts on Whatsapp and advise them accordingly. For now, it’s more about motivating them,” says Rahelu, who is wheelchair-bound because of infantile paralysis and polio.

Vijay B Munishwar, a senior coach in-charge of powerlifting in the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), says the focus has shifted to the mental aspect. “I have advised my athletes to do yogic kriyas which enhance concentration. Mental strength is very important in this sport, and this is a good time to work on that. They are doing breathing control through bench press visualisation and dry lifts and also working on muscle control techniques,” says Munishwar, who has coached Rahelu and Farman Basha, two of India’s most prominent Paralympians.

Para swimmers too have been impacted by the lockdown and are barely able to do quality workouts to maintain their strength required at the top level, says VK Dabas, chairman, para swimming, PCI.

“Because of their special needs, para swimmers use redesigned equipment; they have special attachments with which they do their exercises. That’s why, they are able to do limited exercises at home,” says Dabas, adding, “during such breaks, endurance gets affected and strength comes down gradually. For now, we are asking them to do basic things like body-weight exercises, light-weight training, skipping and running on the spot, dips and squats, which do not allow the strength to drop to a level from where regaining peak fitness is difficult,” he adds.

Dabas feels the break will push back the swimmers by six-nine months. “An unplanned break of a week pushes them back by nearly two months. This break has not only disrupted training but also the nationals and international calendar,” says Dabas.

The para athletes, in comparison, are better placed at home compared to others as they require limited weight training. “But around 10 per cent of them are wheelchair-bound and would be facing more difficulties,” says Rakesh Gupta, chairman, para athletics, PCI.

Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia, the first Indian Paralympian to win two gold at the Paralympics, had to literally ransack his storeroom to dredge out two rusted dumbbells and an old javelin to begin his training after returning to his village in Churu, Rajasthan, from Gandhinagar on March 22. Luckily, he was able to bring along some basic equipment and a resistance band.

“I wanted the feel of the javelin again, making sure I don’t forget it,” says Jhajharia. “I do some shadow throwing and basic strengthening and weight exercises in the verandah of my house for a couple of hours a day. I have to make do with whatever is available at home; there is no option. There are not enough facilities here; our village has just 10 houses and we have locked all of them,” says the 38-year-old.

“Two-three months of not throwing will have a big impact. I will have to work twice as hard to get to that level again,” Jhajharia, gunning for his third Paralympics gold, adds.

However, two para shuttlers at the UP Badminton Academy in Lucknow, who could not leave because the lockdown happened suddenly, want to make the most of the ‘opportunity’ to continue training as before. Young Paralympic qualifier Palak Kohli (world no 5 in doubles) and Neelesh Gaekwad (Asian Youth silver medallist) have requested SAI to establish a ‘quarantine training centre’ where they can continue their practice.

“Before the lockdown, most of our players left for home, but these two couldn’t. They have made a makeshift court in the park where they train regularly. Though it’s difficult training in open spaces, they are determined,” says para badminton coach Gaurav Khanna.

While players across sport are coming to terms with this new reality, the PCI has a bigger task on hand—to chalk out a plan for more athletes to qualify for 2021 Tokyo once competitions start. “Once this shutdown ends, it will take a couple of months to get state-level meets to be completed before the nationals. We will also have to plan for IPC-recognised (International Paralympic Committee) competition so that more of our athletes can qualify for Tokyo. Finally, we will have to organise the selection competitions to pick the team for next year’s Games,” says Gupta.

(With inputs from Sharad Deep in Lucknow)