New Delhi: May 7 (PTI) The desire to hit the ground running on return has kept the Indian team footballers motivated amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This was disclosed by defender Sandesh Jhingan.
The footballers have been forced to stay away from the pitch due to the unprecedented global health crisis. It has led to either cancellation or postponement of all sporting events.
Praising teammates
“I’m lucky to be a part of this team. We keep in touch with the coaching staff. They keep giving us training programmes and monitor our progress,” said Jhingan. His daily fitness routine begins at 4.30am in the morning.
“We should focus on things that are under our control at the moment, and fitness is one of those things,” asserted Jhinghan.
Lockdown situation
The 26-year-old was joined by others from the football community in South Asia as they discussed the lockdown situation in different countries.
The captains of different countries who took part in the discussion were Karma Shedrup Tshering (Bhutan), Akram Abdul Ghani (Maldives), Yousuf Butt (Pakistan) and Jamal Bhuyan (Bangladesh). Sri Lankan referee Nivon Robesh was also a participant.
Respecting frontline workers
The towering defender urged all to respect those who are risking their lives to keep the pandemic under check.
“We must all appreciate and respect those on the frontlines – the doctors, the police, etc. These are the guys who are saving our lives. Respect everyone and show compassion to all,” said Jhingan.
Online coaching programmes
The central defender also spoke about the technical help that the sports community has been providing during the lockdown. He cited the fortnight-long online coaching refresher course that was jointly organised by SAI and the AIFF
“The federation has been arranging online coaching seminars as well, something that has been very helpful to the coaches. Our national team head coach (Igor Stimac) has also taken part in these seminars,” informed Jhingan.