Delhi’s toxic air: Athletes must keep training, but many can’t afford to leave

With winter in full swing and pollution levels rising, most Delhiites stay indoors. Athletes, however, don't have that option. Even with the GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) Stage-III in effect and the CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) advising postponements of sports competitions, training continues.

In this report, Khushi Jaiswal speaks to athletes and coaches in the capital. High-repetition training, they say, demands heavy oxygen intake, and in the polluted air, they bring breathing difficulties, dry throats and persistent coughing. One parent even says that her daughter has been on anti-allergy medication for a week.

Some athletes leave Delhi to train in places like Bengaluru, Odisha or hill stations in nearby states, and a few have even gone abroad. But leaving Delhi comes with a cost which many families can't afford. As a result, many are forced to train even when the AQI (air quality index) exceeds 400. Athletes in Delhi University, meanwhile, say that the DU Sports Council tournaments are still going ahead, with no postponements.

Watch our report.

This report is part of a collaborative campaign to tackle air pollution. Here’s how you can join the Fight To Breathe. Click here to power this campaign.