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IN relation to the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), Indian captain, Virat Kohli, shared in recent news that cricketers are suffering after months of being isolated in a ‘bubble’.
The concern follows suit after the team’s win against England in the One-Day International series and in lieu of the Twenty20 tournament, where athletes will have to go through restrictions once again in the IPL ‘bubble’.
“Scheduling needs to be looked at in the future because it’s going to be very, very difficult moving forward after playing in bubbles for two to three months,” Kohli said.
“You can’t expect everyone to be at the same level of mental strength. Sometimes, you do get cooked, and you do feel like a bit of a change.”
With only small breaks allowed in-between, most international players have been restricted within the ‘bubble’ since August of 2020.
This far into the pandemic, the concept of a sports bubble is a common feature across the globe.
All the way with the NBA from the United States to the Bukit Jalil Stadium local sports bubble, this has been the sports industries’ go-to when adapting to the global pandemic.
The Vibes recently highlighted the stress faced by national athletes within the bubble in preparation for the Olympics.
We spoke to Datuk Dr. Ramlan Abdul Aziz with regards to their mental and emotional stress and what needs to be done to ensure that our athletes are properly cared for.
He emphasised that the athletes’ emotional state is of ‘paramount importance’, and that the coaching team must come up with creative training regimes to distract the athletes from focusing on their time in isolation.
Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia (ASUM) secretary-general, Mae Chen, has also remarked on ongoing efforts to provide emotional support for their athletes, such as Pandelela Rinong.
In response to the news on the Indian cricketers, The Vibes reached out to Taekwondo Poomsae athlete, Sara Yap, on how she is handling the Bukit Jalil Stadium bubble.
Considering the fact that Taekwondo Poomsae is yet to be part of the Olympic Games, similar to cricket, we wanted to know if she shares the same sentiments as the Indian cricketers.
Much to our relief, she shared that the ‘bubble’ is now more lenient with their restrictions, and athletes are allowed to leave the compound provided they abide by the regulations set in place.
From an overall perspective, she expressed that she has not had much time to think about her situation in the bubble as she had been busy tending to an injury that has affected her mobility.
Despite not being able to undergo regular training, Sara’s time and energy are still being well-directed towards her recovery.
While the experience of a few does not constitute that of the many, the above representation clearly indicates that the welfare of our nation’s athletes in these difficult times is of the utmost priority to the National Sports Council (MSN) and all parties involved. ─ The Vibes, 1 April, 2021
