NewsClick

NewsClick
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Covid-19
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • International
  • Sports
  • Articles
  • Videos
search
menu

INTERACTIVE ELECTION MAPS

image/svg+xml
  • All Articles
  • Newsclick Articles
  • All Videos
  • Newsclick Videos
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • Sports
  • International
  • Africa
  • Latin America
  • Palestine
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
  • US
  • West Asia
About us
Subscribe
Follow us Facebook - Newsclick Twitter - Newsclick RSS - Newsclick
close menu
×
For latest updates on nCOVID-19 around the world visit our INTERACTIVE COVID MAP
sports
Covid-19
India

Indian Women’s Hockey Team Pulls Together To Raise Funds For Migrant Families

The Indian women's hockey team players, currently in lockdown at Sports Authority of India (SAI) Bengaluru, will start an online fitness challenge which will double up as an exercise to generate funds for Covid-19 relief work.
Saanika Kala
18 Apr 2020
The Indian women's hockey team players united in Covid-19 relief

The money generated by the Indian women's hockey team players will be given to an NGO in Delhi which will use it to provide food and sanitary kits to a targeted 1000 families reeling under Covid-19 lockdown.

The Indian Women’s hockey team launched an 18-day fitness challenge via social media, a collective initiative to raise funds through crowdfunding in order to help the poor and migrant families whose lives have been impacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The crowdfunding initiative hopes to also encourage people to use this opportunity -- an extended lockdown -- to adapt an active lifestyle. “We are all looking at various sports persons that we all know, along with people who are influencers in their own right,” Rani Rampal said, “It is obviously important that our message and initiative reaches as many people as possible so that we can accumulate a good amount for the poor.”

In the challenge, Indian Women’s Hockey will be coming up with fitness tasks like Burpees, lunges, squats, spiderman pushups, pogo hops and so more. Each day a player is expected to give a new kind of challenge and tag 10 people on their media handles to take up the challenge and donate Rs 100 or more to the fundraiser. 

“Our key objective is to get as many people to participate in the fitness activity and contribute a minimum of Rs. 100, and then nominate 10 more people to do the same. In this way, the cycle can keep going on everyday, where we will be doing a new fitness challenge,” Rani said.

Also Read | Qatar Reports Three New Covid-19 Cases at FIFA World Cup Site

Rani insisted that the team is not currently targeting a particular amount but they are optimistic that people from across industries and spheres of life will come forward to do their bit. 

The target is to provide 1000 poor families with proper meals. The funds raised by them are to be donated to a Delhi based NGO, Uday foundation who will then use it to provide basic necessities for patients hosted at various locations, migrant workers and slum dwellers.

Apart from food/ dry ration, the funds will also be used to provide sanitary kits that will include soaps and hand sanitisers. 

Both the Men’s and women teams are currently in SAI Bengaluru isolated completely fro the outside world, after their leaves were cancelled following the initiation of the first phase of lockdown. The situation while tough for some, is actually also part of the norm for elite athletes, who are accustomed to being locked in together as a team for huge portions of the year. 

“Initially, it was tough to not be able to be with our families, but we all are used to staying in camp for about 300 days in a year…. so there is actually not a huge difference in our current situation,” defender Sushila Chanu said. “We are keeping in touch with our families through video and audio calls, and making sure that they are also following all the guidelines and staying safe.”

Chanu insists that the team is using this time to its advantage, and despite the training on the pitch banned, have been following strict training regimens drawn up by their scientific advisor Wayne Lombard. “Staying here ensures that we can regularly take part in indoor fitness routines, which could have been difficult to follow had we been at home,” she said.

“Another advantage of being in a lockdown as a team is that we have managed to build our rapport within the team, and gotten to know each other better off the field, which shall help us in better coordination on it as well,” Chanu said. Despite a lack of access to the pitch and hockey training almost grinding to a full halt, the team is working with the staff to do self analysis, and study their opponents via video analysis. Leisure activities like reading, drawing, coloring, watching movies and TV shows have become the norm to fill an empty daily schedule.

 “Plus we are also afforded the space to focus and think up other things, like the crowdfunding initiative!” Chanu said.

The initiative in itself was sparked off because of multiple conversations the team had within themselves, reading reports and watching media coverage of the plight of migrant workers, contract farm workers and the homeless, because of the nation wide lockdown. For many of them, with familial backgrounds from rural India, the images were a stark reminder of a reality not too far away.

Also Read | Fred Pugsley: The Anglo-Burmese Refugee Who Helped Shape the East Bengal-Mohun Bagan Rivalry

“All of us in the team come from poor economic backgrounds and we have seen days when we have struggled for food and other basics,” goalkeeper Savita said. “Today we are in a position to help and we want to ensure poor people get basics like food and sanitary kits,"

The idea is to reach the initial goal of 1000 families first within the next eighteen days. “Obviously the response that we get will play a major role in how we can extend the initiative, but at the moment we are only thinking about the 18 days,” Rani said. “We have to make sure that we can do our best and also get as many people to take part in the same.” 

Read more sports stories from Newsclick

Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
Indian women’s hockey team
Sports Authority of India
SAI
Rani Rampal
Sushila Chanu
Savita
Indian hockey
Sjoerd Marjine
Wayne Lombard
covid-19 and sports
Covid-19 hockey
Indian Hockey Team
Hockey India
Related Stories
football in kashmir 420 grams

Football In Kashmir With Ishfaq Ahmed and Mehrajuddin Wadoo | 420 Grams S2, Ep-61 - Part 2

Mohammedan Sporting Club enters I-League

Mohammedan Sporting Enter The I-League (420 Grams, S-2 Ep 61)

Gymnastic

Four Nation Gymnastics Event To Be Hosted By Tokyo In November

ciriello

Hockey India Exodus Continues With Chris Ciriello Resignation

The Premier League, which has kicked off in empty arenas, wrote to Boris Johnson saying that clubs will lose £100m a month if spectators are not allowed to come to the stadiums. (Picture: BBCSport/Twitter)

British Sporting Bodies Come Together To Request Government For Relief Package

Pernille Harder of Vfl Wolfsburg

UEFA Women's Champions League Final Preview (Part 1): The Wolfsburg Juggernaut

National Sports Awards 2020: Arjuna award, Dronacharya, Khel Ratna

National Sports Awards 2020: Increase in Numbers at the Expense of Legacy?

Fridolina Rolfo of Vfl Wolfsburg scores against FC Barcelona

UEFA Women’s Champions League: VfL Wolfsburg Beat Barcelona Femeni, Enter Final

Lionel Messi wishes to exit FC Barcelona

Lionel Messi Officially Asks FC Barcelona For Release; Harry Maguire Dropped From England Squad After Found Guilty For Assault and More (Football Round-Up)

Let’s Talk: Award Season for Sportspersons

Let’s Talk: Award Season for Sportspersons; Digital Trade Rules

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share

Related Stories

Saanika Kala

Lakshya Sen Flouted Covid-19 Protocol: Ajay Jayaram Opens Up About Tournament Exit and Quarantine in Germany

08 November 2020
Of the three Indian badminton players who were forced to pull out of the SaarLorLux Open in Germany, and then q
Newsclick Sports

FIFA Plans to Launch New ‘Cap' and Rules for Agents as Early as January

07 November 2020
FIFA is set to proceed with new rules to cap commissions on transfer fees for agents.
Newsclick Sports

Japan to Set Up Cyberattack Countermeasures to Protect Tokyo Olympics

20 October 2020
The chief government spokesperson of Japan on Tuesday said that the country will use cyber attack countermeasur

Pagination

  • Next page ››

More

  • 100 Former Civil Servants Raise Questions on Transparency in PM-CARES Fund

    100 Former Civil Servants Raise Questions on Transparency in PM-CARES Fund

  • bAgpat.

    Farmers' Protest: Western UP Khap Leaders Plan to Block Loni Border From January 17

  • Andhra Pradesh: Anantapur Farmers Protest Against Real Estate on Land Acquired for Industries

    Andhra Pradesh: Anantapur Farmers Protest Against Real Estate on Land Acquired for Industries

  • Too Little Too Late: Former MP on Chit Fund ‘Moghul’ KD Singh’s Arrest

    Too Little Too Late: Former MP on Chit Fund ‘Moghul’ KD Singh’s Arrest

  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with
about