Bringing their A-game in lockdown: Haryana’s sportspersons dabble in harvesting activities amid labour shortage
ByBhaskar Mukherjee and Sunil Rahar, Hisar/rohtak
Apr 29, 2020 05:18 PM IST
Apart from practicing their respective sport every day, these international-level players have been helping their families in reaping crops and loading them into gunny bags
Haryana is known for producing international-level sportspersons and if you are wondering what they are upto during the lockdown besides spending time with family, it’s reaping crops in their fields amid the shortage of farm labourers across the state.
Indian hockey player Poonam Malik reaping crop at her native village in Hisar.(HT Photo)
Hindustan Times got some of these players to share their daily routine in the Covid-driven confinement.
World number one (52kg) pugilist Amit Panghal had recently shared a picture on the social media showing him loading wheat in gunny bags from a tractor-trolley. “After practising daily for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, I spend most of my day with my parents in my native Mayna village. I try to help them in as many household chores as possible. I even assisted them in unloading the wheat grown on our land into gunny bags,” he added.
Indian Hockey player Poonam Malik of Hisar’s Umra village has also been dabbling in harvesting activities at home. “As most farm labourers have left for their homes due to the lockdown, there is no one for reaping the crop. Being from a farming family, I know the process and reap crop using farm equipment. Rest of the time, I practice for my game in a ground near my house.”
Unlike the ones at home, hockey goalkeeper Savita Poonia is stuck in Banglore. The Ding village (Sirsa) native said she was maintaining a routine of eating healthy food and doing regular exercise during the lockdown.