The effect of COVID-19 lockdown on Iraqi wrestlers

The lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted normal life. At the beginning of March 2020, few cases of infected individuals were recorded, but then the number increased with time, and millions of Iraqi people were forced to stay home, losing many of their daily habits. Banning sports teams from gatherings was a global and local problem facing sports, affecting weight, dietary habits, and other life aspects. This observational retrospective study aimed to determine the changes in athletes' lifestyles like training hours, sleeping hours, weight, and other daily habits. The data were recorded 8 months before the lockdown by their coaches and the medical staff of wrestling teams and after the lockdown by surveys and questionnaires directly from the athletes for this study. The results confirmed that Iraqi wrestlers were still committed to not smoking nor drinking alcohol as before the lockdown, but training hours were down to one hour compared to 3 hours daily before the lockdown. All parts of society were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and athletes were on top of the social pyramid to manage the problems that resulted from the quarantine and social distancing. Athletes, coaches, medical sports staff, nutritionists, and captains should carry the responsibility to return life to its main road as they should double their efforts to win this battle.