Exclusive: 'Hope people appreciate value of sport and fitness after crisis' - Bhaichung Bhutia opens up on life under lockdown, impact of pandemic on global football and more

With COVID-19 pandemic continuing to keep everyone indoors, sporting action has witnessed an unprecedented halt with almost every tournament and leagues getting either cancelled or postponed. However, some of the countries are contemplating resuming sporting action, behind closed doors, with strict hygienic measures. Sporting bodies have already suffered huge losses due to cancellation of events with some of the football clubs standing down their staff due to financial crisis.

Former captain of the Indian football team and the recipient of Padma Shri, Bhaichung Bhutia, in an exclusive interview with WION’s Sports Editor, Digvijay Singh Deo, opened up on life in lockdown, racially provoked attacks on people from North East, struggles of a sportsperson after a prolonged break, football post-COVID-19, and much more…

Digvijay Singh Deo: Bhaichung, good to be able to speak to you, I gather you too were stranded when the lockdown was imposed...

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Bhaichung: I have been in Siliguri because I got stuck here while going to Kolkata from Sikkim. My familyare in Kolkata, so it is unfortunate that I cannot be with them. But apart from that, it has been a pleasant experience here in Siliguri, it is a beautiful town and since I'm from Sikkim, I love the hills. Luckily I also have some friends here.

DSD: How has it been for you, now it has been over a month and you have always been an outdoors person...

Bhaichung: It has actually been a welcome change for me. I have been travelling quite a lot and it has been hectic for me recently. So it is good that i have this downtime for myself. I also didn't get time to work out because of my earlier schedule, but these days i am trying to improve my fitness levels. I'm also trying to help out as many people as I can in these times of crisis, through my football club - United Sikkim. Any person who needs assistance can contact the number we have put out on social media and we will try to do what we can to help.

DSD: But you must be really happy that while you are stranded in Siliguri, your state of Sikkim has been exemplary in stopping the spread of the virus...

Bhaichung: Yes, Sikkim has done a commendable job in ensuring the disease does not spread rapidly. The geographic location of the state and lack of connectivity has worked in our favour, the airport also hasn't been functioning for a while. The government of Sikkim also has taken proactive measures and the guidelines have been followed religiously by the people of the state. As a result, there are very few coronavirus cases. We were also lucky because the virus started spreading during the early part of the year when very few tourists are in the state. If the virus outbreak had happened in the summer months of May or June, then it would have been a catastrophic situation, about 10-15 lakh tourists come to Sikkim during that period.

DSD: The tourism economy in the state has also taken a big hit...

Bhaichung: Yes, one of the biggest sources of income for people in Sikkim is tourism. During the summer months is where most people in the industry make a large chunk of their money. But there isn't going to be any tourism this season. I feel the taxi drivers are going to be the worst hit since they don't have long term savings and have taken loans for their commercial vehicles. I hope the government comes up with a relief package for them. Even if the lockdown ends, I don't think people are going to travel to places for pleasure in the near future. In fact, I don't think we will see much tourism in the next year, till the time a vaccination is created for the virus. I think until that time people will be sceptical of travelling to other places.

DSD: But while staying at home is important equally important is the availability of food and essential supplies...and especially hilly areas could be difficult to get the information...

Bhaichung: Fortunately, people in rural areas in Sikkim do have access to essentials to sustain themselves. Most people in these areas depend on their own cultivation for food, so agricultural activities have been going on, but at a lesser scale. The government has also been proactive in providing ration to those in need. So overall, the way Sikkim has dealt with the crisis has been excellent.

DSD: There is also the tyranny of distance that the further away you are from Delhi the lesser the information...how has the northeast as a whole been through this last one month, I am told that in Assam there have been issues especially with the daily wage labourers...

Bhaichung: I think the various governments in the northeastern states have been very vigilant during these times. Since Assam is the biggest state in the region, there are many migrant workers who work in industrial areas there, so they are going through tough times, but there is some relief being provided to them by the state government. But the situation here is not as extreme as we see in other parts of the country. The government's measures have ensured that the virus does not spread rapidly. Some states like Manipur and Tripura have zero coronavirus cases as of now.

DSD: Bhaichung, you have been captain of India, Sunil is the captain of India now, Mary has been a tremendous icon for India yet there have been incidents of racially provoked attacks on people from North East...how disappointed are you each time you read or see such visuals?

Bhaichung: It is very upsetting when you see or read about acts of any sort of racial discrimination. I think we as a country must make people more aware and spread the message of unity in diversity because such incidents have been taking place for a long time. At the same time, stringent action must be taken against the culprits of these deplorable acts to set an example. If India wants to become a stronger nation, then we have to unite against any injustice that takes place. Such racist incidents are a black-mark on the diverse social fabric of the country and are an obstacle to our growth as a nation.

DSD: The government also had to come up with strong deterrents to ensure doctors and nurses on duty are not attacked. What does it tells you about the mentality of people who are attacking the very people out there battling this crisis?

Bhaichung: It is extremely unfortunate that the healthcare workers, who are putting their lives at risk, are being attacked. Earlier, I appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take stringent action against the attackers. We must protect out healthcare workers, especially during the coronavirus crisis. Not only must they be protected from such incidents, but measures should also to ensure medical workers are themselves immune from the virus, we have observed in Italy, there was a such a major spike in cases because the medical workers themselves were falling prey to the disease. So in a country like India, we cannot afford to lose any medical staff in these times. I'm glad that a law has been passed and the government has taken a 'zero-tolerance' stand towards those who attack our front-line workers.

DSD: But this country owes a debt of gratitude to every person, doctors nurses, police, government officials, trash collectors, drivers, everyone who is out there trying to keep the country running, it isn’t an easy task...

Bhaichung: Absolutely, it is because of these people that we are safe and secure inside our respective houses. They have been risking our lives in order to save ours. All of us should ensure that their work is appreciated and they are looked after financially. The chief minister of Odisha, Mr Naveen Patnaik, announced a compensation package worth rupees 50 lakhs for any worker who loses his or her life while battling the coronavirus pandemic. I think this is a great initiative and more state governments should follow suit. It can also spur the people who are fighting on the front-lines.

DSD: There have been certain positive changes that have taken place during the lockdown as well, animals are roaming freely and the air quality has improved considerably... But let’s talk about sports now...unprecedented to see sportswiped off the map at the moment...

Bhaichung: Yes there have been a few pleasant changes that have taken place during the lockdown, the air quality has improved and the rivers are getting cleaner. But the challenge will be to sustain this. But these positive changes, of course, come while thousand of people are dying across the world. In terms of the sporting calendar, this is unprecedented. But I'm sure once the lockdown ends, all sports will return stronger with the right kind of measures taken by the federations. I hope people appreciate the value of sport and fitness after the crisis. Physical fitness can go a long way in maintaining the health and safety of the individual. So I hope this is one lesson we can take from this crisis. Even if people can take out a little bit of time daily from their busy schedules to work out, it will make their lives better.

DSD: There are a lot of anxious sportspersons out there, Bhaichung, who were preparing for their Olympic bow...what is your advice to them as they sit at home?

Bhaichung: The most important thing right now for any sportsperson would be to stay positive. It is especially challenging for senior athletes because one year can be a long time for them in their professional careers. But the postponement could also benefit certain athletes since they would have more time for preparation.

DSD: Indian badminton coach Pullela Gopichand suggested to me that perhaps the ministry should run quarantine camps to ensure our athletes continue to train...sounds feasible to you, even the Indian Olympic Association has now asked for the same...

Bhaichung: Yes I think it is a great suggestion from Pullela Gopichand, it can start with individual sports like badminton and tennis and then when the situation improves, camps can be set up for team sports like football. The top-level players who live close to big cities such as Bengaluru and Delhi can assemble in a sports authority of India complex or any facility approved by the sports ministry. When flights start functioning again, more athletes can join those quarantine camps from different parts of the country.

DSD: How difficult is it for a sportsperson to recover after losing touch with what they do best and how much time will it take for them to regain their peak?

Bhaichung: It does take time, there is no doubt about it. In any sport which requires endurance, athletes have to maintain their fitness levels when they are not competing. In a sport like badminton, if a player does not train for a week or ten days, there is a drastic drop in fitness levels. In other individual sports like tennis,wrestling and boxing as well, you need another player to compete against, but at the moment no one has that privilege. Not just physical fitness, but an athlete also needs to be in an environment where he or she is mentally prepared for competing at the top level. So it is important for athletes to maintain some level of fitness during the lockdown so that they find it easier to get into their regular training schedule once the lockdown ends.

DSD: In your sport football, how much of an impact is this shutdown having on professional football in the country? Do you think smaller clubs will be able to survive this financial crisis?

Bhaichung: If the virus continues to be a threat for the next few months, then the smaller clubs are definitely going to struggle financially. The good thing for Indian football is the outbreak happened when the season was about to finish, the ISLfinal took place behind closed doors while the i-league was on the verge of completion. So hopefully when the off-season gets over in 3-4 months, we will be able to hold matches while taking the necessary precautions.so if it is possible to begin matches by august or September, even if it is in empty stadiums, then I feel football action should resume. There is a huge market for football in India now, with a substantial television and digital audience which can generate a considerable income for the clubs and players. So, if the green light is given by the government to begin the Indian football season by September, then the All India Football Federation should definitely do all that they can to ensure that the campaign is held.

DSD: Globally, should football resume behind closed doors, there are some countries like Germany who are ready to restart their season...

Bhaichung:Yes, Germany is ready to resume season in may behind closed doors, and I feel if the necessary precautions are taken and if it is safe to do so, then it is the correct decision. The top five leagues in Europe have got a huge audience outside their own countries. It is unfortunate that games will have to take place behind closed doors, but since they have an opportunity to resume the season, football action should be held. Football is the most popular sport in the world and people are longing to watch some sort of sporting activities, so there is also huge revenue to be made.

DSD: How difficult will it be for clubs to get their players up to full fitness after what could end up as a two to three-month break?

Bhaichung: Since most teams in European clubs have been together for a few seasons, I don't think they will need much time to be on the same wavelength again as a team. The only challenge will be for them to regain their fitness levels, but that also should not take more than 10-15 days to achieve. I think if the green signal is given to the leagues, players and coaches will need two weeks to prepare for the resumption. There is a huge opportunity for leagues to begin in the next month and I wouldn't be surprised to see the action resume very soon.

DSD: Do you think that this period without sport anywhere will actually make everyone appreciate the value of a sportsperson, even more, we sort of take things for granted but not anymore...

Bhaichung: I certainly hope sport and sportspersons are appreciated more after the shutdown. Everyone is in the habit of watching sporting action on television during the weekend and I believe once the lockdown is over that all sports will be cherished more. But at the same time, I hope people in India start taking more care of their fitness, especially since we are not a sporting nation. So everyone is talking about investing in health and medical facilities, but apart from that if we can also invest in sports infrastructure, then it will go a long way in improving our collective health and fitness levels. So hopefully there will be more stadiums built, more spaces for children to play in in the future, which will lead to a healthier nation.