Shubham Pawar, Ganesh Veeran Pandiyan and Tarun Kumar. It is two in the afternoon and despite the blazing sun, Tarun Kumar (33) Ganesh Veeran Pandiyan (33) and Shubham Pawar (24) are sweating it out on the tracks of Sant Dyaneshwar Krida Sankul.
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Located in the Indrayani Nagar area of Bhosari, this athletics ground over the past few months has seen the three national medal winners trying their best to get back to form before participating in the Senior Federation Athletics Championship Games in April. “We have lost a lot of time during the Covid lockdowns. Time is less but we have to ensure we give our best” is the general refrain among the three who are putting in an extra effort.
Post Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic gold, track and field events have caught the popular imagination but athletes say they have to put in extra efforts to make up for the lost time. What has gone against many was the lockdown, when instead of track exercises they had to be content with other forms of exercises. Also instead of specific diet and help from professionals, many had to fend for themselves.
Pandiyan, an employee of the Ordnance Factory Dehu Road (Unit of Munitions India Limited), said the lockdown and the lack of professional coaching have slowed him down. Holding multiple medals, Pandiyan is set to participate in multiple events in the next one month. “Regular practice is like oxygen for us. To bring out the best in us we have to have a structured diet but post Covid we are yet to get back to that,” he admitted. This is mainly because of the lack of sponsors with the economic downturn taking its toll.
For Kumar, an employee of the Khadki based CAFVD, the pandemic has seen him losing out on precious time. Like other athletes, he too was forced to practise indoors with restrictions on movement. “Every day lost sends us back weeks in our performance. We are now trying to make up for the lost time,” he said.
Pawar, who is about to finish his graduation, cites lack of sponsors despite his multiple national medals as a major worry. “Sponsors are needed to ensure we can spend on diet and training But even without that we are training,” he said. As days draw near all they can hope for is the best of performance with limited resources.
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