Indian boxing's High Performance Director Santiago Nieva expects the national camp to resume at least partially next month and foresees no hiccups in fans rushing back to live sport in the age of social distancing as he feels people always "look for risks".
The seasoned coach, who has been with the Indian team since 2017, is quite optimistic of things improving by the beginning of next month despite the rising COVID-19 cases as well as the number of deaths in the country.
"I think the camp will restart next month. If not full strength, then at least the core group," he told PTI.
The core group comprises the ones who have already qualified for the Olympics and those who are seen to be strong contenders to make the cut in future qualifiers.
Asked what gives him the belief that camps would be good to go if the national lockdown ends on May 3, the Swede said, "That's my hunch. Of course I can be wrong but I think we will be able to restart early next month."
"Humans have the ability to adapt to different situations. And I think here, people are facing up to the reality quite well even though it is an unprecedented crisis."
"They like to be risky. You can see it even now. Look at Europe and US, people are just refusing to follow the lockdowns, they are flocking bars, restaurants despite strict measures. You think they will stop once all these restrictions are lifted?"
Asked if boxers have been reaching out to him while being at their respective homes during this period, Nieva said, "Sometimes, not often. They call up to tell if they are struggling with the equipment but overall they have adapted well."