The outbreak coronavirus pandemic has enforced a hiatus of sorts on all sporting events both at the domestic and international level. While the Indian Men's and Women's Hockey team players have been spending some quality time with their families off the green turf, the players have been given some specific guidelines by Hockey India around how to keep themselves fit by focusing on strength training and working on their core muscles.

Amidst the Covid-19 induced lockdown, seasoned defender Kothajit Singh Khadangbam has utilized the time fruitfully to reflect upon his long international career, which has seen him don the Indian jersey for over 200 matches and represent the nation at various continental championships and major tournaments.

The ace defender said that his biggest learning amid the lockdown period were to value the importance of patience and the requirement of believing in oneself in every situation.

"It was a difficult time during the lockdown period. Staying away from the hockey pitch is always tough. However, I got a chance to hit the pause button during that time. I have been in the Indian team for around seven years and therefore I could utilize the lockdown period to think about how I have progressed in my career. I have certainly realized that being patient and continuing to persevere are the key elements in any sportsperson's life. Opportunities will come and go, but the important thing is to keep giving my hundred percent and believing in myself every time I am on the pitch," said the 28-year-old.

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While speaking about the things that kept him motivated during the lockdown, Kothajit said that regular fitness training at the Sports Authority of India campus in Bengaluru was a huge blessing for him.

"Maintaining our physical fitness was our biggest goal during the lockdown. Consistent exercise certainly helps one to be mentally and physically fresh. Carrying out the fitness schedules was the best part of my day. It helped me to stay motivated during a difficult time. I also watched a lot of footage of my previous matches and I have noted down certain aspects that I will need to work on in the upcoming months. Watching hockey matches and doing stickwork drills were major sources of motivation as well," said Kothajit.

The Defender, who missed out on the FIH Olympic Qualifiers last year, was delighted to make the cut in the national squad ahead of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2020 matches against the Netherlands.

"It was certainly difficult to miss out on playing one of the biggest tournaments like the FIH Olympic Qualifiers. However, it was wonderful to see our team book a berth at the Tokyo Olympics in front of our home crowd. We have a lot of talented Defenders in our team and it's great to compete for a spot in the national squad. It really shows the kind of quality we have on our side. It was amazing to be back in the Indian squad earlier this year. Hopefully, I can keep putting in the hard yards in the training sessions in the future and be a consistent member of the Indian side for the upcoming matches," said Kothajit.

The Women's Core Probable Group was at the Sports Authority of India campus in Bengaluru since February for the National Coaching Camp, while the Men's Core Group arrived in Bengaluru in the first week of March. The Men and Women Core Probable athletes will be recalled on 19 July 2020 to resume sports activities as part of their preparations for the Tokyo Olympic Games.