In locked-down Thailand, swimmer Sajan Prakash finds extra time to recover from injury

Stuck in a training centre in locked-down Thailand's Phuket, ace Indian swimmer Sajan Prakash has found a silver lining in the extra time he is getting to recuperate from an injury amid the gloom of COVID-19 pandemic.

Sajan, who travelled to Phuket in February to train for swimming meets, had hoped to achieve the 'A' qualification mark for the Olympics. However, the national record holder has been left stranded in the city following the lockdown in the country.

"I'm in Phuket and I'm safe here," Sajan told PTI.

Sajan, who is on a scholarship given by the International Swimming Federation (FINA), is staying at the Thanyapura Academy with 18 other swimmers of different nationalities.

"I came here on February 12 to train. I am pretty comfortable here. I am on scholarship from FINA so everything is taken care of. I don't have to bother about anything."
"From November to January I had a neck injury - slip disk. I have recovered and I had just started swimming. I was getting some weakness in my hands but I continued training and managed with it."
"I am doing rehab and breathing exercises. I'm so lucky (on getting time to recover)."
"It's very difficult to stay away from the pool. I've not been in the water since March 17."
"Coach told us to keep the shoulders moving so we bought an inflatable pool and filled water in it. We then tie one end of a rope to a bar and the other end around us and keep moving our arms inside the water."
"It is to keep feeling the water. It's good for the shoulders as it keeps us going and reduces the chances of injury once we get back into the pool."
"I'm reading a lot, I don't get to read so much usually so that's great. I read about swimming and watch movies. I'm also writing down the plans are for the next one year now that the Olympics have postponed."