The Jaipal Singh Mega Sports Complex at Hotwar in Ranchi. File picture

Ranchi, Oct. 23: Frequent postponement of the 34th National Games over the last two years is affecting the physical and mental preparedness of players.

The start-and-stop situation is not considered good for players preparing for a serious competition. The purpose of organising coaching camps is to enable players and teams to reach their peak by the time of the competition, said coaches and players.

As the National Games have been postponed five times, the training schedule of players, too, have started and stopped as many times. This has left the players in a quandary, as they can sustain their peak for best performance only for 15 to 30 days.

Manish Kumar, the 60kg category wrestler in Greco-Roman style and a bronze medallist at national meets, said: “We started training for speed with the November 21 schedule in mind. But now we have to stop that. Such sudden changes affect our performance and motivation.”

State wrestling association secretary and national coach Bhola Nath Singh echoed Manish’s views. “Our wrestlers practise regularly. Still they need a specific timeframe to prepare for a competition. The training load is reduced gradually to prepare a wrestler for a national-level meet. But with frequent changes in the target date, the wrestlers are bound to lose rhythm and the required focus and motivation.”

“The way the Games are being postponed, we need to train our players to remain in the perpetual adaptation form that is not physically or mentally possible,” said Singh.

Savitry Purty, former international hockey player, too, was worried about her girls. “The second phase of coaching was held long ago. Recently, they underwent condensed coaching, as everyone was sure the National Games would be held from November 21. Now, no one knows when the Games will be held. Without any reference date, it will be difficult to organise the final phase of coaching,” Puty said.

Manas Sinha, a senior karate instructor, said: “To win a competition, killer instinct is necessary. Mental preparedness before a tough fight is crucial. But frequent changes in schedule make players uncertain. The momentum is obviously disturbed.”