As the number of coronavirus patients multiplies across the world, social distancing is the only way to combat the virus. With staying indoors being the norm athletes are no exception. Here is how Indian sportswomen are making the most of this period.
Mary Kom
Even though six-time world champion Mary Kom broke the 14-day quarantine protocol and attended the breakfast hosted by President Ram Nath Kovind on March 18, the 37-year-old is taking care of herself and family. She claimed, "I only attended the President's event and did not meet Dushyant or shake hands with. My quarantine after Jordan ends but I'm going to be at home only for the next 3-4 days."
“In my case, I have felt a sense of freedom with this isolation. I have realised that I am not feeling the stress of a daily schedule right now.”
Mary continues to train and pay importance to her fitness while in quarantine. “I am chilling, doing my exercises, taking care of my fitness and playing with my children after being away from them for almost one month,” Mary Kom said. “That’s the best part of this isolation, I am with my family through the day without having to think of anything. My appeal to everyone is don’t panic, try and stay at home if you can and spend time with your family,” she said.
“Right now, all I know is that my children are very happy. For 10-15 days, they have got their mom and that too without any interruption,” a sitting member of the Rajya Sabha added.
Rani Rampal
Hockey skipper Rani Rampal has moved her training indoors. When on Janta curfew on Sunday, she trained and also urged the fans to do the same.
We all know Rampal is a fitness freak, so we followed her social media accounts and saw her advocating indoor training to use the time effectively. She is sweating out in the training sessions like a boss. Posting a training video on Twitter, Rani Rampal wrote, “#JantaCurfew is on..so it’s important for us to stay at home & obey it. Understanding the current situation in the World, I am trying to utilise this curfew time in doing indoor training to stay fit & healthy.” She also urged fans to stay fit and healthy.
READ:What Makes Mary Kom’s Life So Inspirational, Every Single Day
Harmanpreet Kaur
Not only does Harmanpreet Kaur take responsibility to spread the safety message, but India’s cricket captain also makes all the right noises about staying indoors under the current circumstances.
"Taking this time off to spend some quality time with my ♥️ On a serious note, a gentle reminder to everyone out there to follow the guidelines issued by the health officials, take care of each other & love yourself," wrote Harmanpreet Kaur.
Kaur just returned from the Women’s T20 World Cup, she admits she could use this isolation time to get some rests and enjoy some ‘me’ time.
Also Read: What kind of sanitisers protect you against Coronavirus?
Koneru Humpy
After returning from maternity sabbatical, World rapid champion Koneru Humpy is busy taking care of her 30-month-old daughter in isolation. “Since I have to take care of my 30-month-old Ahana, it is not easy to spare time for chess,” she told The Hindu. “Our normal daily schedule meant dropping her at my parents’ home and carry on the training. Now, since she cannot go out due to precautionary measures, it is a 24x7 job for Anvesh Dasari and me,” she said.
“Though this is not the first time I have had to take such a long break (the last one being when she was pregnant), this is different. There is uncertainty with what is happening around the world and in our country,” the 32-year-old Humpy said.
The FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Series scheduled in Italy in May. “Though there is no official communication, given the grim scenario, it seems unlikely that it will be on,” the World No. 2 said. Humpy too urged citizens to be responsible for maintaining social distancing.
Sania Mirza
Sania Mirza assured fans that she has no symptoms yet. "Thankfully both I and my father don't have any symptoms and we're feeling healthy,” she told ESPN India.
“We made sure we didn't step out of our homes both in San Diego and here in Hyderabad. Izhaan is just excited to have me back and with him around, self-isolation doesn't look like an easy option," she claimed.
Raising awareness about Coronavirus and sanitizing, Sania took to her Instagram account and posted an adorable video of her son educating us about the importance of sanitizing. She captioned the video: “Sanitizing !! It’s the need of the hour .. even @izhaan.mirzamalik has it down 👋🏽 stay safe everyone #covıd19.”
Ankita Raina
After Fed Cup outing in Dubai, India’s top-ranked singles tennis player Ankita Rania is now just relaxing at home. She’s expected to be in Pune for a while and continue working out to stay fit.
“I didn’t have a pre-season for the last two years, so for me, it’s good in a way that I’m getting this break,” she told the Hindustan Times.
“There are a few things that I would like to try my hand at now that I have the free time sitting at home, like cooking, painting and may learn some form of dance. Who knows, that might also help me in my game!” Ankita said.
Feature Image Credit: India Today
Read More Stories By Ria Das
/shethepeople/media/agency_attachments/iUYfaBbcMozaYLoGnoov.png)
Follow Us/shethepeople/media/post_banners/CJMPlHt7EB0ZoI3n12lK.jpg)