Because of air pollution, Delhi-NCR schools are being forced to rethink their sports calendars, new Delhi: With Nov and Dec likely to be lost to outdoor sports.
In its Sept 10 order, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) asked Delhi and NCR administrations to ensure that physical sports activities and competitions are not scheduled in Nov and Dec, citing air-quality trends.
It said competitions already scheduled could be rearranged, while ensuring students are not disadvantaged. Ameeta Mohan, principal of Amity International School, Pushp Vihar, said the school has planned its calendar keeping the recurring air-quality challenges in mind. “We have strategically planned our annual calendar to schedule outdoor events and sports activities outside these months, wherever possible,” she said, adding that the school would use flexible scheduling to maintain continuity in training for students preparing for competitive events. Principal Tania Joshi said, “We are ensuring that we finish all our sports activities by Oct. These students can follow flexible school timings, she said.
Schools are now responding by bringing forward events wherever possible. However, she acknowledged that the disruption is likely to hit students pursuing sports hard. Hence, the school is keeping its indoor auditorium available for those who compete in sports like badminton and do strength training.
At The Indian School, the focus is similarly on completing outdoor sports activities before the pollution-heavy months.
Rooma Pathak, principal of MM Public School, Pitampura, said the school was restructuring its calendar. The objective, Pathak said, is to ensure that preparation, trials and selection schedules are not disrupted by the restrictions. she said, conducting outdoor sports during the hotter months presents its own difficulties While schools can move tournaments to April-Aug. Jas Elanjikal, principal of St Michael’s Senior Secondary School, Pusa Road, said many schools were already considering moving annual sports meets and competitions to Sept-Oct or Jan-Feb.
Other schools are preparing to replace outdoor activities with indoor training in Nov and Dec. The focus in the winter months will be on indoor sports, such as chess, table tennis, yoga, judo and badminton, along with online training modules. For competitive players, coaches will conduct online sessions covering fitness, diet, rules, match analysis and mental conditioning, supplemented by home-based workout plans. Sharma also flagged the possibility of students in Delhi-NCR losing practice and competition time compared with those in states where such restrictions do not apply. The concern extends beyond individual school calendars. But he pointed out that changes to school-level competitions can have implications for district and state-level trials and preparation.