Archer Abhishek Verma keeping himself sharp with rooftop practice during lockdown

NEW DELHI: Indian

archer Abhishek Verma

is busy hitting the target on the rooftop of his house during the

lockdown

due to the fast-spreading

coronavirus pandemic

. Since

archery

is an outdoor event, Verma is not leaving any stone unturned to keep himself fit and focussed during the lockdown.


Every morning, the 30-year-old takes his bow, arrows in his quiver and goes to his rooftop and starts aiming at the target.

In a video message sent to Timesofindia.com, Verma said: “As we all know the coronavirus is spreading across the globe, I would request everyone to stay at home during the lockdown. If we go out, we can get infected and then we will infect others too.”




“We are sportspersons and we hardly get time but this is when we can spend time with our family members. We can cook, do creative activities, drawing etc. We can do a lot more things during the lockdown," Verma said.

For Verma, a 2018 Asian Games silver medallist in the Compound team event, mental fitness is as important as physical fitness.

“I would also like to share with my fellow archers and other sports persons that mental fitness is as important as physical fitness. The mental fitness will help to take our game to another level and achieve the goals. So, let’s take advantage of this lockdown and prepare yourself mentally and physically and do more practice. So that, when we go out, after the lockdown, to play any match or tournament, we give our 100 percent,” the 30-year-old archer said.

On being asked about the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, Verma said: “Olympics have been postponed. This has given the sportspersons more time to prepare themselves for the big tournament”.