A dry run is a practice run, a testing process where the effects of a possible failure are intentionally mitigated. The 65 national sports awardees took part in the dry run ahead of the national sports ceremony amidst Covid-19. Wearing PPE Kits, undergoing Covid-19 tests and travelling for 7-8 hours without food or family they attended the dress rehearsal of the ceremony, which was conducted for three hours in Chandigarh, at the UT Secretariat building on August 27, 2020. All the participants followed COVID-19 guidelines.
Awardees shared their experiences on attending the event in the wake of Covid-19. Former Indian women’s chief boxing coach Shiv Singh who is among the eight chosen for the Dronacharya award in the lifetime category, and the Chandigarh-based coach found the experience of a 24-hour wait for the test report a nervous one.
Former Indian football coach Sukhwinder Singh, who has been selected for the Dhyan Chand award, will be following the ceremony from Langley, British Columbia, Canada where he had gone for his son’s wedding.
Sprinter Dutee Chand travelled from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata, a journey that took more than 12 hours. Dutee was selected for the Arjuna award.