Believe It Or Not, Boxers At The National Camp Are Sparring Without A Doctor

Injury is part and parcel of a sportsperson’s life. More so in contact sports like boxing or wrestling, where athletes live in fear of getting grievously hurt.

In such a scenario, the association of a full-time doctor with a sportsperson or the national team becomes even more important – to tend to them in case of an illness or injury during training sessions and competitions.

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India’s senior men’s boxing team – which is preparing for Tokyo Olympics qualifiers and other important tournaments at the NIS centre in Patiala – is missing such a support. The national campers, which include the likes of Vikas Krishan, Amit Phangal, Mohammed Hussamuddin and Manoj Kumar, among others, are without the services of a specialised doctor, with just one physio around.

Since a trainer can’t play the role of a doctor like prescribing medicines or attending to internal bodily harm, the boxers have been left to take care of their injuries and niggles. The campers are also worried about the quality of medicines prescribed by a local doctor. They fear it may contain some prohibited substance.

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The campers shared a special bonding with Dr Karanjeet Singh Chib, who was associated with the men’s team for 18 years, but hasn’t joined the camp this time due to both professional and personal reasons. “My department (Chib is currently posted at the Health Centre in Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh) hasn’t relieved me, citing shortage of senior doctors in the state. But I am ready to leave my job for boxers. However, I want the BFI or the SAI to match my current salary,” Chib told TOI from Mandi.

“I have demanded Rs 2.5 lakh per month because my department is offering me Rs 2.2 lakh. I can’t work on the earlier salary which was around Rs one lakh per month,” added Chib.

The BFI has expressed its helplessness. “According to SAI’s salary slabs, a doctor could get maximum of Rs one lakh. In special cases, it could be increased to Rs 1.5 lakh. So, we are looking to appoint two new doctors each for both the men’s and women’s teams,” BFI’s executive director R K Sacheti said.