Taking Indian Badminton online! Coach Pullela Gopichand shares fitness program via digital videos
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New Delhi, April 4: While the lockdown is still going to contain the coronavirus pandemic, the national coach of badminton Pullela Gopichand to maintain the fitness of his badminton players has decided to give out tips through video. Given the lockdown, staying away from constant practice can affect the fitness of the players. This had led to starting a training process program for the shuttlers by Gopichand through Whatsapp, which helps the users to send text, voice and video messages.
It is noted that he was sending the players videos of what to do in the WhatsApp group as they can only do fitness with the courts being unavailable due to the lockdown. Though the program is generic it is set in a way that it can assist the shuttlers to train it for the Olympics.
Meanwhile, trainer Dinaz Vervatwala who hails from Jamshedpur and has worked with London Olympics bronze-medallist Saina Nehwal is also taking fitness classes for the Indian shuttlers via Zoom app, a platform for video communication. The men's doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, is also part of the group which is following the tips.
Chirag stated, "Gopi sir sends us program schedule every day on WhatsApp. It involves mainly meditation, wall practice where I hit the shuttle on the wall, play my strokes and drives, which helps to strengthen the forearm. We are also doing at least an hour of training in the evening with a trainer. Dinaz does a video-call through zoom app and everybody joins in and then we practice together."
Satwik also spoke about the program."Gopi sir's program is a combination of a lot of things like wall practice, skipping, small exercises, breathing exercises, it is more like simulating the actions whatever is possible at home to stay sharp. Every alternate day, we also have Dinaz taking our fitness classes. She gives us very interesting and different fitness programs, so it is fun. Almost everyone is there, Sikki (Reddy), Ashwini (Ponnappa), Sai (B Sai Praneeth), Guru (RMV Gurusaidutt), Kashyap (Parupalli) and (HS) Prannoy," Satwik said.
Though the online sessions can help the shuttlers to stay fit mentally and physically as of now but getting back in the court might be tough once BWF restarts the international calendar.
However, Gopichand is confident that they will have time to get those players at least six weeks to prepare for tournaments once there is resumption. "We don't know when the badminton circuit will start but whenever it starts, they will give you 6-8 weeks of a headstart. If they are postponing Wimbledon which is two months away then badminton will also probably start in July-August. So when they start in July or August, we will get enough time to get back our fitness, prepare and then go and play. At the moment, what is important is health and sports come next," he signed off.