Bhubaneswar: The Holland team that was ejected from the race to Men's Champions Trophy semi-finals here on Thursday is treading cautiously during their stay in India.
The team, currently in the Odisha capital, had been issued a strong nine-point medical advisory before their depature, and so far it has worked to a nicety.
The list drafted by the Dutch team's coach and doctor includes instructions as stringent as not using the hotel water for brushing their teeth; avoiding a swim in outdoor pools; applying DEET, an insect repellent, without fail; taking a shower only at the hotel, not at the stadium because it may include "pees and poops"; and using surgical gel to disinfect hands.
The list starts with proper tour planning and ends with an advice to 'stay sharp' during the stay. Without further ado, here it is - in full:
1. Proper preparation - "We are in Malaria area"
The advisory starts with talking about the vaccinations required post departure, in particular tablets to avoid malaria and four weeks of extra vitamins and supplements to leave the gut in "best possible condition".
2. Disinfect your hands
The team is carrying with it 80 flasks of gel used in the hospital operation theatres. Shaking hands, the advisory says, can leave your hands contaminated. And it adds that "poor hand hygiene" is the main reason for infection in the Netherlands as well.
3. Be careful with water
"The water in the hotel, you cannot drink and you should not use when brushing your teeth," the team is advised. "If you see that one cooks along the way, pees and poops, then you know that this groundwater is very polluted...We shower in the hotel and not in the stadium. The quality of the water there is better."
4. Eat with your mind
"It sometimes happened that I saw them [hotel staff] wash the plates with a garden hose. You need to be careful. Salads and vegetables, washed with the same water that we do not drink - leave them alone. Fruit that is still in the husk is allowed, such as a banana, an apple or a kiwi...Also, we do not eat fish because you do not know how it is cooked. We restrict ourselves to carbohydrates, pasta, rice, boiled vegetables and undercooked meat. In terms of desserts, the choice is limited: we do not eat anything with cream, only a muffin or a sweet roll. And of course, do not eat at a tent along the way."
5. Think drinking
"Coffee and tea are allowed, but no cappuccino, because you do not know how long the milk is in it already. Do not drink adulterated drinks...And no ice in the drinks."
6. Avoid the outdoor pool
"If indoor, it had been a different story. Now there are more substances from the air, bacteria and birds in the bath."
7. Put your pants on
"Evenings are a lot of mosquitoes, so everyone should lubricate himself with DEET, an insect repellent. During the day, it's not so bad. Everyone can train on rest days in the clothes he likes. But at the end of the day, it is wise to wear long clothes; for example, pants and a jacket. '
8. Listen to your belly
"If it plays up. they call me [the team doctor}. Also, in the night."
9. Stay sharp
"Especially if it works out well, there comes a time when you are going to be slightly more relaxed." The advisory sounds an alert to guard against such complacency.
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