Quarter-miler Muhammed Anas worried about future invites

KOCHI: Muhammed Anas has been doing his best to dodge the Covid-19 bug till now. Among the athletes stationed at the SAI centre in Patiala, he saw his younger brother, Muhammed Anees, catch the virus and so did the athlete next to his room. Anas is relieved that the athletes at the centre are now getting vaccinated, but there is another worry that concerns the 26-year-old.

“It is good that we are getting vaccinated because there was a lot of nervousness among the athletes as there were a few positive cases here. It was a genuine concern because we felt safe over here and then to see someone get infected can be a little unnerving. I will get vaccinated tomorrow (Tuesday) or the day after tomorrow (Wednesday). But the worry now is about when I can compete again in international competitions. It’s been a long, hard wait,” he said.

Anas was all set to participate in the World Athletics Relays in Poland with the 4x400m men’s team. However, their travel plans were hit at the last moment as their flights were cancelled due to the travel restrictions imposed on India.

“It was a major disappointment that we couldn’t compete. It was going to be among the first international meets for me in a long time and to see that getting cancelled is tough to take. The problem now is that there are more and more travel restrictions being imposed and travelling for international meets becomes a big question mark. There is a lot of uncertainty,” he said.