Wrestlers, boxers feel the heat

Rajeev Tomar, India’s wrestling hope in the 120-kg category, is livid. “Can anyone give his best shot while representing the country with these pathetic facilities? It is just too hot here,” he said. “The conditions here are very bad. They sent us to Belarus for a two-week training camp. If they can bear expenses for our foreign exposure trips, I’m sure they can fix a few ACs in here,” he told The Indian Express, sweating profusely after his first two-minute bout inside the humid hall.

“Even before we start the bouts, the pulse rates of the wrestlers increase due to the summer heat and high humidity. Despite our repeated reminders to the local NIS officials, there have been no air-conditioners fixed,” says chief national coach PR Sondhi. “All three Olympic-bound wrestlers, apart from the 30-odd others who are training here, are sweating on the mat, limiting the productivity of our sessions.”

Power cuts

While the ideal scenario would have involved adjusting their training times according to the scheduled bout timings in China, the athletes have had to adjust them according to the long power cuts that are imposed by the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB). “We now train at 11 am, keeping the power timings in mind. At least we can be comfortable in the wrestling hall,” Sondhi said.

When contacted, PSEB chief engineer Patiala division, Amrik Singh claimed that they could have provided an uninterrupted power supply for the NIS, but that no one had informed them about any camp. “I am unaware of this, and no application has come from NIS,” he said.

The conditions in the boxing hall are similar, with the only difference being that the chief national boxing coach is not complaining much.

“We have adjusted according to the power cuts, and though the air-coolers are not working, it would not have helped , given the high humidity,” GS Sandhu.

A source said that both Sondhi and Sandhu have already told the administration about some of their problems. “However, the NIS officials have failed to take appropriate steps to solve the mess.”

We’ll look into it: NIS

Amar Bharadwaj, director NIS, said that he had noticed these problems and would soon try to solve them. “I have just returned from Delhi and will surely look into this matter,” he told The Indian Express. NIS’s Executive Director LS Ranawat has been on leave and couldn’t be contacted.

SAI’s Sayan Chatterjee says he first heard of the problems when we contacted him over the phone. “I do not talk to the press, but I will look into these lapses,” he said.