Chhavi Kohli wears a mature head on young shoulders and despite doing multiple things during Lockdown, she lets her mind visit a future when she can resume fencing without undue risks. The talented Chandigarh-based épée fencer is unsure when she can start practicing with a partner but has used the enforced break to keep her mind trained on the sport.
The 19-year-old envisions some changes in fencing in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. It is possible, she says a disposable tissue may be used each time a fencer has to straighten the tip of the sword during a match. “We might have to find a way to not touch the weapon with our non-fencing hand to reduce the possibility of the virus spreading,” she says, wearing a thinking hat.
As far as santisation is concerned, Chhavi is clear that the body suits that the fencers wear cannot be washed each day as they take time to dry. “Besides, I am unsure how the electric jackets (Lamé) that fencers wear can be sanitised,” she says. Not all questions have ready answers, but athletes are imagining the future, with masks, gloves and sanitisation.
She admits feeling irritated, at times. “There have been such times. People do not realise it, but the Covid-19 scenario is affecting our mental health, subtly but adversely. Acknowledging this is very important so that it does not get neglected and manifests itself in other forms. This is a disaster that has affected everyone around the world. It has made us give up what seemed normal just a few weeks ago. Hopefully it is a once in a lifetime thing. It is not a productivity contest,” she says.
“We need to have patience, calmness and Hope with a capital H. We have to believe that this too will pass. Thankfully, I live in a society that has a playing park to which I can go to and maintain social-distancing. I overcome the momentary feeling of irritation by engaging in some activity or stop doing anything I am trying to. It is okay to sometimes do nothing and laze around.
“I am not killing time,” Chhavi says, dismissing notions that little to do. “There has not been a single moment when I have had to kill time. I sold my paintings and raised money for the institute for blind students near my home. I did two online courses. And, I am loving reading the Mahabharat, too, as I learn about the path of righteousness.
“To be honest, for a good part of the Lockdown, I did not have a routine, I did whatever I felt like but after three weeks I drew up an exercise routine that I practice at home. The Fencing Association of India’s online sessions with coaches and one fencer a day have also been beneficial. It has been a great learning experience,” Chhavi says.
“I have read about the Indian Olympic Association’s initiative to reach out the sports community to devise ways to resume sport. It is a good initiative to ask the athletes, managers and coaches who are all a part of the large sports community. Each sport has its peculiarities and it is possible that someone may come up with a practical suggestion that can benefit everyone,” she says.
The Asian Games in 2022 may be the next major event for which she can aim to qualify but Chhavi’s eyes are trained on sabre fencer Bhavani Devi’s attempt to qualify for Tokyo 2020. “Her making the grade will be a big shot in the arm for our sport,” she says, aware that the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has marked fencing as a key sport for the 2028 Olympic Games.
This article first appeared in Mail Today, on May 7, 2020.
