'Saurabh Chaudhary must not rush back to hard training after COVID infection'

Since Chaudhary from Baghpat hasn't recovered, his participation in the European Shooting Championships, starting on May 20 in Osijek, Croatia, could be doubtful, said the coach.

New Delhi: Olympic Games-bound 10-meter air pistol shooter Saurabh Chaudhary, recovering from Covid-19, has been advised not to rush back to hard training as it could have a damaging impact on his performance, says a national-level pistol coach.

"He has just got back to training after 15 days' break due to Covid-19. He might feel okay, but it's not advisable to rush back immediately to hard training sessions as it could set in residual fatigue. Since the Tokyo Olympics are around 75 days away the talented shooter should take it easy otherwise it could prevent him from performing up to his optimum level," the coach said.

To prepare for the Olympics, starting on July 23, the National Rifle Association of India is organising a national camp for 13 shooters in Zagreb, Croatia from Tuesday.

Since the 19-year-old shooter from Baghpat hasn't recovered, his participation in the European Shooting Championships, starting on May 20 in Osijek, Croatia, could be doubtful, said the coach.

"The duration of the 60-shot preliminary round 10m air pistol match lasts one hour and 15 minutes, excluding the 15 minutes of preparation time. To prepare for a top-level competition, a shooter has to train for over two hours at a stretch. If the shooter is unfit it could impact his performance," he pointed out.

Chaudhary is the third Olympic-bound shooter who contracted Covid-19 recently.

Pistol shooter Rahi Sarnobat and rifle shooter Apurvi Chandela are the other two who are recovering from the virus infection.

Last November, rifle shooter Divyansh Panwar was affected by Covid-19. He was home quarantined but recovered to compete at the New Delhi World Cup held in March.