Hasan: Dreams of a 57-year-old athlete Anil Kumar, who was gearing up to participate in the International Athletics competition, got shattered when the nationwide lockdown was imposed. Kumar, a resident of Hasan in Karnataka, is now compelled to sell masks to meet his ends meet during the pandemic. Anil Kumar is a photographer by profession but it was his affiliation towards sports which motivated him to go ahead in this field.
Had it been any normal day, Kumar would have been spotted practising running or jogging for the National Masters Athletics event in Gujarat, which was scheduled to take place in February. The athlete was bracing up to participate in International Athletics competition, representing India in Japan. But the government's order on clampdown on the spread of coronavirus changed his life upside down, forcing him to become a street vendor to sustain his livelihood.
"I have a great passion and zeal for sports. I have won many medals at the national, state and district levels. I was preparing myself for Athletic competition at the national and international level but because of the corona, I am left clueless. The pandemic has destroyed everything."