THE discomfiture of ace shuttler Kidambi Srikanth represents the sentiment of the sporting community the world over. Repeated COVID-19 tests left him with a bleeding nose ahead of a tournament. Later, he could not participate in the Toyota Thailand Open in Bangkok because his room partner -- B. Sai Praneeth -- tested positive (which was a false positive). Thanks to the changed conditions, sportspersons have lost the freedom to train as per their plans and abide by regulations that actually militate against their schedules, Srikanth grieved. This grief is also the grief of the entire sporting community all over the world. Yes, the coronavirus pandemic has forced new normals in every field, including sports where the pinch feels much harder than it may do elsewhere. At least for the time being, sportspersons in all disciplines will have to make do with changed circumstances and still keep their heads above the water.

 

There is little doubt that sports means constant improvisation even during encounters and before and after them. Even though this is a granted reality, sportspersons are finding it difficult to manage themselves in the new normals thrust upon them. And by any definition, we must say that re-adjustment in sports is far more difficult than in most other fields -- for obvious reasons. For in sports, what matters most is the precision in implementing the discipline of regimen that finally prepares the individual sportsperson for the challenge that often presents split-second dilemmas that are not easy to cope with.

 

That is what Kidambi Srikanth is saying, particularly referring to the false signals that stem from various COVID-19 testings and protocols. This constant threat unsettles the otherwise orderly mental process of sportspersons. Non-sports people may never understand, but games are rarely won in the muscle, but are played and mastered in the mind and spirit. The sad reality which Kidambi Srikanth is pointing to relates to this fragile zone in the mind where, despite the toughness of challenge, mind is required to be focused on the goal and related actions without any wavering or doubting. The new normals now being faced unfortunately force the mental zone of sportspersons into a tumult that they dread. Only those who have understood the philosophy and practice of sports can know the nature of this discomfiture. But K. Srikanth’s reference also refers to the physical zone where sportspersons have to make massive adjustment in the bio-bubble and give up those small nuances of freedom that are so crucial to good performance in any discipline. Their physical training schedules have to be re-adjusted.

 

Their diets and time-tables have to be re-adjusted. And their travel plans, too, have to be redrafted to cope with the uncertain schedules of transport. Anybody who is sensitive to the demanding nature of sports will sympathise with not just Kidambi Srikanth but also with every sportsperson around the world in all disciplines. If the larger human community understands this fine tumult that sportspersons have to endure now, they will feel much relieved. For, in that case, the world will look at them more accommodatively and appreciatingly. Sportspersons do not need anything more.