For more than two months, athletes across various disciplines haven’t been able to put themselves through the rigours of a proper training regimen. Express spoke to prominent names from five sports to try and get their estimates on how much time it will take for them to become fully match-fit...
SLOW & STEADY APPROACH
It should take about two to two and a half months for me, but it depends on shuttler to shuttler. Initially, we’ll focus on building strength as we have not hit the gym for over two months. It’s vital to gain strength first. We do various forms of exercises and some weight training. We’ll be dedicated to building strength for a week or so. Then, we can start on-court training alongside. If you directly do on-court training without strength training, there are high chances of injury. The latter includes shadow practice (movement on court without play involved). Working on our movement will be of prime importance, and we gradually do other forms of practice like tossing. Sparring comes much later, once we are fit and ready. We have to be patient. It’s difficult to say exactly how much time it will take. Once we start, we get a clearer idea on what to do next. After I have reached around 60 to 70 per cent, it could take another four to five weeks to be on top of my game.
B Sai Praneeth,
Shuttler
GRADUALLY BUILD RHYTHM
This is a completely new situation. To put a definite time scale is difficult but I feel it will take at least one month to 45 days to get back to a competitive level. There are a lot of factors involved in table tennis. For just a practice match, players can get ready in a week or 10 days. But to get into tournament rhythm will take time. In terms of training, we also need to take precautions regarding load and intensity. We cannot just think of our level prior to the lockdown. It will take time and my mental trainer has kept advising me on taking it one day at a time. The main things to work on will be the small technical details like return of serve, third-ball attack. Working on all these aspects has not been possible due to the lack of sparring partners. Apart from that, the game is all about rhythm; foot movement and hand-eye coordination. Mentally, it will be key to just focus on improving oneself. I’m sure players will get back into the groove since there are no international events any time soon.
G Sathiyan,
Paddler
FITNESS IS BASE TO BUILD ON
We are itching to get back to the nets, but it is hard to tell how long it will take to get back in shape for competitive cricket. Other than breaks caused by injuries, I have never been away from bat and ball for so long ever since I was 10 years old. Only after we start batting and bowling will we know where we stand and where we have to be. What kind of work is needed and in which areas, will also become clearer once we start. I read somewhere that some of our trainers are saying it will take about 2-3 weeks. My understanding is, it will take 2-3 days to know what we missed. The actual process will begin after that. It might be different for each individual. Until we start, it is difficult to predict. What I can say is, I will be there the whole day when we get back to the nets. Although I can have nets on the terrace of my house, I did not do it because it requires involvement of others, which I wanted to avoid. I worked on fitness during the break and feel completely fit.
Vijay Shankar,
Cricketer
ENDURANCE KEY TO REVIVAL
We have been undergoing fitness training daily at home, so it’s not like we’re completely out of touch. To be ready for an event, it will take at least a month. We haven’t trained with a partner for long so that should take some time. First and foremost, we’ll work on building strength and endurance. We’ll do some weights and running to gain endurance. Gradually, we can move on to partner training. If there’s an event coming up, we train accordingly. Otherwise our training sessions are longer. The rounds will be longer, with punching bag sesssions and pad workouts. When we are in practice, we get to know about progress. That’s when we can assess. If I’m able to complete one round with ease, I’m almost ready. The approach to training for heavyweight and lesser weights is different. I’m confident that I can get back to the level that I was before this pandemic within a month or so with standard training without restrictions.
Amit Panghal,
Boxer
PITCH NEEDED TO BE FULLY READY
As far as overall fitness is concerned, my training never really stopped. I have continued fitness and core exercises at home. I’ve kept in touch with the Professor (Luka Radman, strength and conditioning coach of Indian team) and we have been working on various aspects. Right now, what I require most is to get on to the pitch and train for match situations. Once that is done, I will be in good shape. It will take a little time to get a hang of technical and tactical routines. But once that happens, we will be ready for matches. I’ve missed on-the-ball drills. I tried to do as much of them as possible at home, like dribbling around cones, or passing and receiving the ball using a wall. But getting on the pitch and doing proper football conditioning training is a completely different thing. Playing rondo, or five-a-side, or the one-on-one games on the pitch really helps you acclimatise to match situations. It helps you get back your shooting boots, and improves your touch, awareness and tackling.
Sahal Abdul Samad,
Footballer