BENGALURU: It has been more than six months since Bengaluru’s Aishwarya Pissay last featured in a competitive race. The pandemic has disrupted the schedule for sportspersons all around the world and the off-road motorcycle racer is now eager to get going with the Baja World Cup 2020, sometime next month.
“We tentatively have two races at the end of September or so and I will be travelling for them as soon as I can. It is happening in Portugal, Spain. Due to the pandemic, four races have already been cancelled, ” said Pissay, who was signed by IOS Sports and Entertainment, on Thursday. “It has been a long break, in terms of racing. So, definitely, I will be happy and keen to go out there and compete.”
For racers like Pissay, who tend to travel away from family for competitions, staying at home comes as something new. “In the last four years I have been racing, I was never home for such a long period,” added the racer. The city girl has not completely been out of touch during the lockdown period too. When she found time, the 24-year-old would go and train at a few places in the city.
“I was blessed in terms of being able to go and train even during the lockdown. There are quite a few training facilities in Bengaluru. All these places do not have much people around so it was safe enough for me to go and train,” said Pissay, who is now training on different tracks in the city.
But even at home, she did not waste any time during the lockdown period, looking at ways to maintain fitness. She would involve herself in endurance training using different equipment, which she had at home. More importantly, she looked at different videos on the internet, so that it would help her become a better racer as well.
“On a regular basis, my team and coach, especially in the lockdown, used videos from previous races and worked upon them to see how and what we can do better. Apart from that, I did watch a lot of videos of other people driving in different terrains and races. There is so much available on the internet and I have been referring to them to help me do more,” said Pissay, who was nominated by the Federation of Motor Sports of India (FMSCI) for an Arjuna award as well.