Sports stars shine in battle against COVID-19

Their talent on the field elevated them to sporting stardom. Now they are quietly taking on another adversary. A number of sports personalities in government service are on the frontline of the COVID-19 fight. And it’s an impressive roll call.
Haryana deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Joginder Sharma, who bowled the heart-stopping last over in the 2007 T20 World Cup final against Pakistan, which India won by 5 runs, can now be seen patrolling the roads, offering masks to violators.
“Sometimes when people get to know who I am, the conversation takes a light-hearted tone and we almost always end up discussing the match,” he said.

Then there’s former India hockey captain Rajpal Singh, now a DSP in Punjab.
Back in the late 2000s, Singh who played as half-back, was known for his speed and power. He has spent the past three months managing movement of crowds at night and challaning lockdown violators.
About 2,500km away, Diwakar Prasad, a boxer employed with Indian Railways in West Bengal, jots down destinations of passengers for easier contact tracing, and often guides them on social distancing norms. For the Olympian, staying away from his family in Jamshedpur is the hardest part.
“My four-and-a-half-year-old daughter finds it difficult to understand why she hasn’t met me for so long. My wife understands that duty has to come first,” he said.
Many said they report to duty early and still follow rigorous routines, something a career in sports had prepared them for.
Ajay Thakur, former kabbadi team captain and DSP in Himachal Pradesh, spends long hours reining in unruly youngsters in cars and on bikes flouting lockdown norms.
Almost all the sporting stars TOI reached out to said the plight of migrants, hungry and stranded, walking home has moved them the most.
Gurgaon assistant commissioner of police (traffic) Akhil Kumar, a boxer and 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, said he has been helping arrange vehicles for migrants trying to reach railway stations.
“The joy I feel when I help someone is similar to what I used to feel winning medals for my country.”

And while calls from worried family members are frequent and there is constant risk of exposure, they said they were happy to help India overcome this challenge.
“We know there is a danger wherever public contact is involved. But the country needs us,” said 39-year-old Gagan Ajit Singh, former forward in the Indian hockey team and now DCP (security and operations) in Punjab Police.
The sentiment is shared by Indumathi Kathiresan, national women’s football team midfielder and a sub-inspector with Tamil Nadu Police.
“I take pride in serving the country in my uniform, sometimes more than I do in my football career.”