"This is a great time to analyze our game," says Indian Men's Hockey Team Forward Simranjeet Singh

Bengaluru, 22 April 2020: With the entire country under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian Hockey Teams are trying their best to stay positive at the Sports Authority of India campus in Bengaluru during this very difficult period. The Indian Men's Hockey Team Forward Simranjeet Singh believes that this is a great time to analyze one's game via videos of previous matches.

"It surely is a tough time for all of us. We have to stay positive and hope that the situation resolves soon. I have been mostly watching a lot of videos from our previous matches. It has given me a chance to patiently go through the footage and note down key aspects that I need to work on, once we can get back on the pitch. We generally have a busy schedule while we are playing, so this is a good use of time to spend on looking back at our performances and learning from them," said the 23-year-old.

Simranjeet expressed that he is very lucky to be staying at the SAI campus during this period. It has helped him maintain his fitness and keep him busy during the day.

"It's wonderful to be staying at the SAI campus at the moment. We are given fitness schedules by our Scientific Advisor Robin Arkell and all of us carry out exercises in our rooms. Maintaining fitness is the key for any sportsperson and therefore we put a lot of emphasis on it. Sometimes, I go for an individual run around the campus as well. It helps me to stay mentally strong and fresh. Other than exercises, we carry out a host of activities during the day which keeps us busy. I miss home and it would have been great to stay with family during this time, but I wouldn't have been able to use the facilities here," said the Forward from Punjab.

Speaking about the postponement of the Olympics, Simranjeet said that the Indian team should utilize the extra year to become an even better side.

"It's disappointing that the Olympics has been postponed to next year. We have been in fantastic rhythm since last year and the team was building up well for the Olympics. But, the well-being of the people is more important than anything else and the best decision has been taken. We should certainly utilize the next year to become an even better side. We will ensure that we work harder and produce great results on the field," said the Forward.