How toxic air is impacting India’s athletes: ‘Eye irritation causes blurring, impacts a shot,’ says national shooting coach Deepali Deshpande | Sport-others News
The window for athletes to train is shrinking in and around the National Capital Region because of toxic air in winter and searing summers. As the country makes a pitch for the 2036 Olympics, The Indian Express spoke to coaches and athletes from a wide range of sports — boxing, wrestling, athletics and para-athletics, cycling, shooting, hockey and also experts — on the impact of the conditions on health and training. International badminton stars, in Delhi last week for the India Open, have complained to the International Olympic Committee about the air pollution, and have cited health concerns Deepali Deshpande writes: Extreme weather does not just test a shooter’s endurance; it alters the very nature of sport. In shooting, where success depends on precision, calm and fine motor control, weather can quietly become the biggest opponent. At one level, the impact is uneven. Ten-metre events are conducted indoors, so the effects are limited. But in outdoor disciplines like 25 and 50 metres, conditions play a decisive role. Winters, especially in northern India, bring their own …