Bengaluru :

The Indian men’s hockey team must treat the next one year as a countdown to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, feels former drag-flick specialist VR Raghunath.

“I think the team must take this period as a one year countdown, and forget everything that’s happened in the last 6-8 months. It is time to start afresh,” said Raghunath.

The former defender, who was part of some of India’s finest victories including the 2014 Asian Games gold medal and FIH Champions Trophy silver medal in 2016, further said that the six-week break would have helped the players recharge.

“The six-week break was ideal for the players to return to the national camp feeling fresh. The Indian team’s fitness is top class and they will continue to build on this plus point the next one year but having the right mindset in their approach and staying mentally positive will be very important,” he said.

Putting things into perspective, Raghunath explained, “How the players cope mentally in this new scenario, how they approach every day mentally and once they start training and playing matches, how they will cope with the pressure and the results will matter a lot.

“Usually in the lead up to the Olympics, the last 6-8 months pass by really fast and the team must be absolutely prepared physically and mentally.”

Commenting about the team’s defence, Raghunath said India’s current backline can challenge the best teams in the world.

“They are very experienced and the current set of defenders have about 50-80 caps together. They know each other very well and I don’t see them having any problems even when they are put in a tough match-situation against any top team in the world,” said the Coorg-lad who continues to actively take part in domestic hockey.

He further highlighted that young dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh has matured as a player and with good support from senior compatriot Rupinder Pal Singh, India can produce lethal PC attack.

“Having two top dragflickers who can play full match is an advantage for India. Both Harmanpreet and Rupinder are equally good and they have completely different execution and qualities.

“Having various options and combinations in drag flick is always good. Plus, India has good options in Varun Kumar and Amit Rohidas who can be great support when one of the two top flickers are having a rough day,” opined Raghunath.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Sports / by IANS / August 06th, 2020

The World No 10 in squash, who resumed practice at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai on Monday after more than four months.

Chennai :

Joshna Chinappa heaved a sigh of relief when the Tamil Nadu government announced last week that athletes can train at the stadiums.

The World No 10 in squash, who resumed practice at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai on Monday after more than four months, feels it’s important not to burn out in order to get back in shape too quickly.

In an interview with The New Indian Express, the 33-year-old opens up on finding purpose in training, staying focussed for the 2022 Commonwealth and Asian Games and the role of her sports psychologist during these difficult times. Excerpts:

How different was the training this time?
Having access to the academy and squash court is a relief. Right now, we are training solo. It’s just one of us on the court hitting the ball. In the last four months, everything was shut. Predominantly, my training was only at home, basic fitness training. It’s exciting to be back on the court.

Is there a sense of fear or paranoia even though in Chennai there are signs of things improving?
It (fear) is always there at the back of your mind and we should not take things like wearing a mask and sanitising your hands for granted. I just try and remember these because it’s easy to forget once you train in a public place. It’s about being more aware. But I know when I go to play, it’s a safe and secure environment.

How is your body responding to this increase in training load?
Doing fitness is different from playing. My body is pretty bruised up (laughs). It is slowly getting used to it. But I just feel, in another few days or in a week’s time, I should be able to play a bit more fluently. I think I need two weeks of consistent practice and strength training to get back into rhythm.

What are the challenges of starting afresh?
For me, it’s about finding the purpose of training right now. (And decide) Should I push myself hard or keep my fitness at a good level or play squash as much as I can. It’s important not to burn out when I train hard every day. But there is no tournament in sight currently. The challenge is in figuring out how to train correctly and efficiently so that I can look after my body and when the Tour does start, I will still be fresh to play for a few years.

You said a month ago, there was no motivation to train…
I believe things will start again, if not this year, at least by January. For me, Commonwealth Games (CWG) and Asian Games have always been the biggest motivation for the last few years. I’ve a plan to train and compete at the 2022 CWG and Asiad. It’s important to keep training and stay focussed.

Did having a sports psychologist help you get through this phase?
Having a sports psychologist has played a huge role in my game. I’ve worked with someone for the last 10 years. He is also a squash player, so he understands my game. For me, there are two people that I trust with my game – my coach and psychologist (both based in the UK). It’s nice to have someone to speak to, to bounce ideas off and to keep your perspective as positive as possible. Especially, during times like this when things are challenging, mentally.

When do you think Indian players will be okay with taking part in events abroad?
Right now, things are looking hard. Travel is not sorted out. Our Tour is trying to put together something from September or October onwards. But again, nothing is confirmed. Things are changing every couple of weeks. I personally don’t feel like competing till October or November, if at all. Some tournaments have been cancelled. It’s a little grey.

Do you see tournaments happening in India this year?
I actually asked the federation about this. They are keen to start something when things get better. As I said, it’s all about how the situation is – travel, quarantine period and safety measures have to be considered. All it takes is one person to stop the tournament completely, be it domestic or international. It’s important to try and wait a little bit. Let people first get back to training. Hopefully, when the situation gets better, we can start off with low-key domestic tournaments.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport> Others / by Srinidhi PR / Express News Service / August 05th, 2020

India’s highest-ranked squash player Joshna Chinappa is hoping to get access to courts sooner than later after almost five months away from the game.

India’s highest-ranked squash player Joshna Chinappa is hoping to get access to courts sooner than later after almost five months away from the game even though the sport’s national body has ruled out any activity till September due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, Squash Racquet Federation of India (SRFI) secretary and former national coach Cyrus Poncha had told PTI that he does not see any tournament being conducted before September. According to him, chances of resumption of training at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai were also very low.

Joshna seeks access to squash court

” Joshna is, however, keen to get back to the courts.

“It is not easy, not being able to get back on court. It is soon going to be five months since I have not been on a court. I personally love training at the academy (ISA). Just hope that as top athletes, we do get to train before September.

“It is important because we are preparing for something really big eventually (2022 CWG and Asian Games). It is important to be able to be to connected to the game. Hope we are allowed to play in a controlled atmosphere, an hour a day or something like that,” said Joshna, who broke back into the world’s top-10 earlier this month. ”

The coronavirus case count continues to rise rapidly in the country but a lot of top athletes have resumed training under strict safety protocols set by the Sports Authority of India. Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai have been badly hit by the virus and all three are major squash centres. Following the central government guidelines on the resumption of training, the Tamil Nadu government too allowed the reopening of stadiums and sports complexes without spectators. However, most sporting facilities in Chennai, including the ISA, remain shut. Joshna, who entered the world’s top 10 for the first time in 2016, is back in the group following the unexpected retirement of world number one Raneem El Welily last month.

” It is my hardwork and a bit of luck that has got me here but I want to prove it on court, beating the top players consistently,” said the 33-year-old, who has been on a strict fitness regime since the began lockdown in March.

Image credits: Twitter / PTI

source: http://www.republicworld.com / RepublicWorld.com / Home> Sports News / by Press Trust of India / July 18th, 2020