Swimming coaches suffering a lot
Date :28-May-2020
Sports Reporter :
THE deadly coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc all round the world throwing life out of gears affecting all including sports fraternity. This pandemic has resulted in cancellation of all summer camps which has caused a lot of monetary loss to sports coaches, especially to swimming coaches. Swimming coaches and swimming clubs rely completely on summer season to survive throughout the year. Since the pandemic has occurred in summer, full time swimming coaches and freelance swimming coaches’ income has been jeopardised. “My entire year’s income was supposed to be earned during the summer season. Now my savings are being drained out as I have no income during this season. It seems to be very difficult to run my house in the days to come,” said Mukesh Balbudhe, who is a full time swimming coach.
Roshan Choudhary, who is chief coach of NKP Salve Academy, feels that it is loss of the swimmers. “During summer, the swimmers had extra time to do more practice for their competition which is not happening due to lockdown. Identifying raw talent and potential swimmers was only possible during these summer camps. While dry land workout helps a person to remain physically fit, swimming helps build endurance. I am also worried for the free lance coaches and life guards who have missed their earnings due to the lockdown,” lamented Choudhary. Ex-Serviceman and NIS coach Anil Pande who is also President, Aquatic Association Nagpur, terms the lockdown as an opportunity lost.
“After retirement from the state government, I realised the need of producing swimming coaches, life guards and swimmers. I have taken pools on rent to give back something to the society. Obviously there has been a financial loss but most importantly it’s a huge loss of time which could have been utilised to produce swimmers, coaches and life guards for not only Nagpur but for my nation,” said Pande, who has also been a former Maharashtra state swimming coach. Freelance swimming coach Amit Meshram is among the worst affected. “Coaching is my only source of income and due to lockdown I am facing hardships. Summer season is also the time I connect with my annual students to improve their skills.
I used to earn a bit more through personal coaching but nothing happened this season,” Meshram said. A budding swimmer Garv Ranjit finds the lockdown frustrating for sportspersons. “It’s really frustrating due to lockdown. I am not able to do workout properly and the entire life cycle has changed. I am not able to burn calories which I used to do on daily basis. “I am eagerly waiting for the lockdown to get over so that I go back to the pool start my routine apart form meeting friends,” said Ranjit.