Exclusive: "Athletes must start training at the earliest, can't afford to have long gap" - Olympic Gold Quest CEO Viren Rasquinha

The CEO of Olympic Gold Quest and former Indian hockey captain, Viren Rasquinha, in an exclusive interview with WION's Sports EditorDigvijay Singh Deo, opened up on Tokyo Olympics postponement, mental fatigue of athletes, international sporting calendar, proposal of quarantine camps for Olympic hopefuls, change of mentality of Indian athletes and much more.

Digvijay Singh Deo: Hello Viren. Good to see you as always. How have you been?

Viren Rasquinha: I think life has been tough for everyone during this lockdown, but it's good to be able to talk to you after such a long time.

DSD: Mumbai has been hit pretty hard by the virus so obviously you have to take lots of precautions especially with a young daughter at home?

Viren Rasquinha: The main precaution everyone has to take is to remain indoors during the crisis. My five-year-old daughter loves being outdoors, so it's hard to get her to stay inside. It's a challenge for me to keep her busy with various activities, but it is something we all have to do.

DSD: I am not sure how many have seen Viren's Twitter feed but he had designed an obstacle course for his daughter which was really delightful to watch. A budding sportsperson then?

Viren Rasquinha: My wife and i have always maintained that we will support her in whatever she wants to pursue in life. I would love it if she becomes a sportsperson, but there is no pressure on her. However, she should participate in sport at her age as it teaches you a lot of life lessons and keeps you fit.

DSD: Okay, let us talk sport now and I’m going to hit you with the direct question. How badly has the Olympic postponement hit Indian sport? We don’t have a system like the USA or other superpowers, we focus on limited sports and that’s why I think we have been hit hard.

Viren Rasquinha: I would have definitely have preferred the Olympics to have been held on schedule in July 2020, but I realise that given the coronavirus crisis, postponing it was the right decision to make. It is tough for the athletes to mentally prepare for the games that are now almost 15 months away since they were almost done with their overall preparation for the 2020 games. So it is a challenge for them to mentally adjust the situation and re-calibrate. They will have to go back to the drawing board in terms of preparation.

Athletes train for two or three years for the Games and it is difficult for them to deal with such a sudden change. For Indian sportspersons, especially in individual sports like wrestling, shooting and boxing, many of our athletes were in very good form ahead of the 2020 games. But with this enforced break, their form and confidence will take a real hit. It is also going to be very hard to predict what will happen in July 2021.

DSD: You work with a lot of our Olympic hopefuls, how have they taken this in one on one conversations?

Viren Rasquinha: The athletes were in good shape for the 2020 games so it is tough for them to deal with the delay. You cannot underestimate the importance of form and confidence ahead of a major event like the Olympic games. But most athletes are very practical people and they have the ability to adapt very quickly. Most of them realise that the postponement was not just the right decision to make, but the only option available to the International Olympic Committee.

Once the athletes are able to mentally accept the decision, then they will be able to take the next step of preparing for the 2021 games.

DSD: I was speaking to PV Sindhu the other day and she says that there are two ways to approach this, one is pushing yourself for 15 more months and the other is to feel despondent...

Viren Rasquinha: I think the athletes will have to accept the decision which was taken for the greater good of humanity. Safety and health have to be our priority and the 2020 games would have endangered not only the athletes but also the coaches and the thousands involved in the event.

DSD: Will mental fatigue be an issue Viren if we have the Olympics in 2021?

Viren Rasquinha: There are so many variables in sport, mental fatigue will also come into play in 2021. Physical fitness is also key for any sportsperson, and losing so much training-time will have a long term effect on athletes. They will need at least 6 months to regain their peak fitness levels, especially in the more physically demanding sports like wrestling, boxing, badminton and hockey. Mental fatigue will definitely be a factor come the 2021 games, but the true champions and top athletes are always able to overcome such obstacles and challenges. It is what separates the best from the rest.

DSD: Abhinav Bindra told me a month back that it is the wiser and more experienced sportspersons who will adapt better to this. We have a lot of young first-time Olympic qualifiers. How do you keep them focused and carry them through this period of turmoil?

Viren Rasquinha: Apart from the young athletes, there are also many who are experienced and have already represented the country at the Olympics, like Mary Kom, Vinesh Phogat, Mirabai Chanu and PV Sindhu. Most of the shooters who have won a quota for India at the Olympics are very young and haven't competed at the Olympics, except for some like Sanjeev Rajput, ApurviChandela and Rahi Sarnobat. So these young athletes like Manu Bhaker and Sourabh Chaudhary need to be kept motivated and for that, they need the right guidance and mentoring. But I am confident that they will be helped through these times by the various federations. The sports authority of India will provide the athletes with the assistance they need. When I played, there was not as much knowledge about fitness, dietary habits and training as there is now. The athletes are also much more aware of how to take care of themselves.

DSD: I think there has also been a change in the mentality and belief of the Indian athletes, especially the shooters, we used to fear the world but it seems now the world fears us.

Viren Rasquinha: Absolutely. As a sports administrator for the last decade or so, the biggest change i have seen in indian athletes is the belief that they have. They believe that they can perform at the highest level and bring a medal home for their country. For that shift in mentality, we have to thank our senior athletes like Mary Kom, Gagan Narang, Saina Nehwal, Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt and Vijender Singh. These athletes showed us the pathway to success. They won Olympic medals when the standard of the facilities available to them was not at the level we see now. Even PV Sindhu was inspired by Saina Nehwal. Nehwal broke the glass ceiling for women's badminton in India by her performances at major events. So that positive belief has been instilled into the Indian athletes.

When I went to the 2004 Athens Olympics with the Indian hockey team, I don't think we believed that we could win a medal. So half the battle was already lost before we even stepped on the pitch. But this generation has that confidence of going there and putting up a challenge.

DSD: Do you think this postponement will throw up very different Olympic medalists.15 months for someone who is over 30 could be tough. It will be a huge task for someone like our Mary Kom, or Roger Federer or shelly-ann Fraser-Pryce...

Viren Rasquinha: I actually do not think that there will be a completely unexpected set of medalists. I say this because when experienced campaigners like Mary Kom, Roger Federer and shelly ann Fraser Pryce put their minds towards achieving a goal, they usually succeed. They will ensure that they are in the best shape for the 2021 games. People were saying that the 2004 games would the last for Leander Paes, but he has gone on to play three more since and might participate in 2021 games as well. There were also question marks over Mary Kom's career after 2012, but here we are in 2020 and she is still going strong.

No one would have thought that Roger Federer would still be playing at the highest level at the age of 38. So there is something intangible that makes these names the greatest athletes in the world. There is a desire to prove a point and that is what drives them to work harder than everyone else. So, it is going to be hard to predict the medals but I don't think there will too many changes in the athletes who are going to the Olympics. I think the favourites for the 2020 games will still be challenging for the medals next year.

DSD: By when do you think the international calendar has to resume for the Olympics to happen Viren. Athletes can’t just sit at home and practice and go to Tokyo, they have to compete.

Viren Rasquinha: I think we have to accept the fact that international travel is not going to be possible in the next few months at least, in fact probably the whole year. That is why many sports, like athletics and archery, have cancelled their Olympic qualifiers for the remainder of the year. I think that is why most countries in the world need to be ready to organise domestic competitions and high- level national training camps. I don't think there will be any international competitions this year and there will be a drastic change in the world of sport because of the COVID-19 pandemic. International travel is one of the essentials of modern sport and it doesn't seem like that will be possible for the next year or so. Indian athletes have to accept that fact and be ready to train within the country.

DSD: Pullela Gopichand suggested that we should have a quarantine camp for Olympic hopefuls and now the IOA has suggested that as well. Have we missed a trick here already?

Viren Rasquinha: I definitely think all efforts should be made to organise quarantine camps, especially for those athletes who have already won Olympic quotas and have a high chance of challenging for Olympic medals. We can have a minimal number of coaches and support staff in these camps. It is important to get these camps up and running because we cannot afford to have a long gap in training in physically demanding sports. The more days these athletes don't train, the longer it will take them to regain their fitness levels. Having said that, there might be many logistical issues in organising these camps for the government and sports authorities. The health and safety of athletes comes first. But if the government and sports authorities can overcome these challenges and ensure a safe environment for all, then they should make every effort to organise quarantine camps for the top athletes.

DSD: I find it extremely ridiculous that we have had both our hockey teams in a quarantine camp yet they have not been allowed to train. Valuable time has been lost which could have helped them get a jump start over the rest of the countries who had no training. Now other countries are resuming training and we are still in Bengaluru twiddling our thumbs...

Viren Rasquinha: I think this is a medical issue, so the medical experts would be in a better position to explain to us a reason as to why the hockey players aren't being allowed to train. From the perspective of a former sportsperson and sports administrator, I would definitely want our elite athletes to be training at the moment and that is something that is happening in other parts of the world. I reiterate that no stone must be left unturned to ensure that athletes are able to start their training at the earliest, with the necessary health and safety precautions.

DSD: Also it’s not just athletes who have to adapt.organisations like yours. You may have backed a particular athlete but now 12 months later there maybe someone who is really in good nick. What do you do then?

Viren Rasquinha: I'd like to look at this as an opportunity for more athletes to make a mark, athletes who would otherwise have not been in contention to participate at the Tokyo Olympics if it was held on schedule. So now a bigger pool of athletes can win an Olympic quota for the 2021 games and increase the level of competition within the country. So hopefully that will ensure that the best Indian contingent travels to the games and puts up a show that we can all be proud of as Indians. At the international level, it is very rare that an athlete comes out of the blue and demands everyone's attention. By and large, the sports federations have been investing in all the Olympic hopefuls for a lengthy period of time, so they have a pretty good idea of who is in contention to make the games.

I think the only worry is whether the form of a particular individual will drop ahead of the 2021 games if the team is selected 7 or 8 months before the event. But I believe form is temporary, class is permanent. All federations should also ensure that they have a very transparent selection process. I would want them to announce the calendar for the trials and the method that they will be following. If the athletes know the schedule, they will have a goal in mind and that will help them give their absolute best. So, I think it is important to invest in a group of players and within that group, we must ensure that the most deserving or best athletes go to the Olympics.

DSD: Is it fair for federations to declare teams now for the Olympics. Simply on the point of mapping performance goals does it work. Should we not wait till 2021 march and see who stands where?

Viren Rasquinha: The selection process of our national federations have become much more transparent and professional in the last few years. We have to trust the federations to come up with the right selection method and calendar. I think as long as the criteria is fair, we just have to trust the process. I believe that one should not interfere in these matters. I always believe that if a particular athlete is good enough, then he or she will get selected in the team no matter what the circumstances. So the athletes must stay focused and not get affected by the speculation surrounding the dates and process of the trials.

DSD: What will be the new normal in sport when this opens up,especially say team sports like hockey and football?

Viren Rasquinha: Absolutely, the whole world will be different post the COVID-19 pandemic and a lot is definitely going to change in sport as well. I think we'll see a shift to online and virtual training. Interaction between coaches, support staff and trainers has already been taking place online and that is bound to continue. That will especially be a huge change for the Indian athletes because they are used to personally-supervised training since their early days. Indian athletes have to start taking more responsibility and start planning their own schedules. They also have to implement those training programs and be more independent. I don't think we will have a situation now where the coach or the nutritionist is able to guide the athletes every step of the way. So the Indian athlete will have to adapt to the post-COVID-19 world.

DSD: I always like to end on an optimistic note, what is the first thing that you will do when the lockdown is over, maybe as a Liverpool fan you would love to celebrate the Reds winning the Premier League title.

Viren Rasquinha: Yes, I would love it if that happens. Us Liverpool fans have been waiting for 30 years for the league title and it will be heartbreaking if the Premier League trophy doesn't come to Anfield, given the team is so close to end that drought. But otherwise, I still love being outdoors and playing sports, so I'll play some badminton when this is all over. I'll take my family for dinner and just enjoy the simple things in life that we earlier took for granted. I'm going to cherish those moments much more after this crisis.

I love playing football with my daughter and she is also missing the game. She's driving me up the wall at home so it will be great to be able to take her outside for her football coaching. Going back to the Olympics, I'd like to say that anything is possible if we believe as a nation. It is even possible for us to get medals in double digits in the next Olympics. Also, I'd like to appeal to the government and federations to pay equal attention to the para-athletes who represent India. They must not be forgotten and we must support them in their quests as well.