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 Preeti Panchal writes: This happened some time ago. During a routine training session, I was chasing the ball at my usual pace when, all of a sudden, my breathing became unusually heavy. Within moments, it turned into a harsh bout of coughing, and the breathlessness kept getting worse. I had never experienced anything like it before, and for a while, I could not understand what was happening to my body. A visit to the doctor brought some …