India, Oct. 23 -- A thick blanket of smog has descended over Gurugram, pushing the city's air quality deep into the "very poor" category over the weekend and forcing athletes to abandon outdoor training for indoor spaces. Stadiums that once echoed with activity now lie nearly empty, with coaches and players citing health risks, poor visibility, and respiratory distress as reasons for halting field sessions.

According to the daily national bulletin by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Gurugram logged a "poor" overall air quality index (AQI) of 281 on Wednesday, with three of four monitoring stations active. With the onset of winter pollution, athletes have shifted to gyms and indoor facilities to continue training, they said.

"It f...