Bhubaneswar: The entire nation is under lockdown induced by COVID-19 pandemic. People, including sportspersons are spending their time behind closed doors. The Indian hockey stars are doing the same at Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre, Bangalore. However, they are indulging in a host of activities while maintaining social distancing norms. Mandeep Singh spoke over the phone to Orissa POST. Excerpts
Has the lockdown affected your mental health?
No it has not. We are used to being in camp and competition for over 300 days in a year so we are quite used to staying away from home. We in fact, feel fortunate that we are currently based in a facility like SAI Centre, Bangalore which is over 80 acres and has various facilities. Our coaching and support staff have ensured we remain busy through the day by designing individual fitness program for players. We have activities like analysing our previous matches and making individual presentation and coaches also prepare quiz based on these match analysis and it’s quite fun. We are also using this period to introspect on our own game and what we need to improve.
How’s the arrangement for you at SAI Centre?
SAI, Bangalore has been extremely proactive and even before the state lockdown was announced in Karnataka, SAI had strict guidelines where outsiders would not be allowed inside campus and even their own employees entering the facility were screened at the gate. This was as early as March second week. Since then, extreme care has been taken to ensure our safety and they also invited doctors in mid March who explained to us about COVID-19 and precautions we need to take. The facility in general is maintained very well and now extra care is being taken to ensure safety of national campers.
How are you utilising time these days?
As I said earlier, we have been given specific workout charts to follow which includes distance running of about 4-5kms everyday and we have been given bodyweight training workout that can be done in our rooms. I have mentioned about match analysis and quiz based on matches. Apart from these activities, during free time, we like playing ‘FIFA’ or ‘Call of Duty’ on Play Station.
How you train with others while maintaining ‘social distancing’?
Hockey training has been suspended since the nationwide lockdown was announced. For running, we go individually to the track or in a pair. For bodyweight training also we do it individually in our rooms. For meals, we used to go together as a group to the canteen but since lockdown, we go in batches and maintain social distancing by sitting far apart from each other during meals.
What are your post-lockdown plans?
This depends on what the coaching and support staff have decided for us and I’m sure will work within any Government guidelines.
Any message for the frontline warriors, including doctors, police and mediapersons, who are ‘fighting’ day in and day out to curb spread of the pandemic?
The frontline workers are doing a fantastic job and we must respect their efforts. They too have sacrificed their time with family and are working tirelessly for the people. The least we can do for them is to respect the government guidelines of the lockdown and ensure we stay at home and not go out unless it is absolutely necessary. My big salute to all the frontline warriors for their efforts.
Sambhu Datta Mishra