Learning English, playing PUBG - Here's how Pro Kabaddi League stars are keeping busy during this lockdown period
A few exercise drills on their house terrace, gorging on home-cooked dishes and watching highlights of their favourite sports on TV - life’s undergone a sudden change when compared to the stardom that the Pro Kabaddi League brings to some of the best kabaddi players in the country.
For a few athletes who have never had to opportunity to spend quality time at home or learn the art of cooking, there has never been a more opportune time. One among them, Dabang Delhi's teenage prodigy Naveen Kumar is making the most of this quarantine time with his family members.
"I'm learning to get more comfortable speaking English with the help of my sister. This will help me in the long run in my career as well. My mother is a great cook, so I keep taking cooking lessons from her- I am now able to prepare Dal and Paneer very well, thanks to my mother," Naveen said in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda.
Naveen's diet, which includes having 'Lauki' [Bottle Guard] twice in a week is also his way to keep fit during these testing times. Apart from watching some of the best cricket matches on the Star Sports Network, Naveen's also keeping himself busy by tapping his feet to some groovy songs.
For Bengaluru Bulls' star raider, Pawan Sehrawat, the lengthy rest at home is giving him extra time to spend with family and a chance to pick up some survival skills, mostly cooking.
And yet, amidst all of the fitness drills and hours spent in the kitchen, there's no keeping him away from PUBG.
"Whenever I get the time, I enjoy playing PUBG. I would not call myself an expert, but I do beat my friends easily and look for challenges online. But this is only in my free time. I am looking forward to getting back on the mat and organising a small tournament in my village once everything is back to normal," said Pawan Sehrawat.
A self-confessed fan of South African superstar AB de Villiers, Pawan Sehrawat adds that the sports fanatic in him misses the fervour of IPL 2020 and hopes to see his favourite cricketers in action.
"As a sports fan, I miss live sports, and this was the time of IPL. I do miss seeing RCB play, I was rooting for them and was looking forward to seeing ABD play and I hope to see him in action soon," the Bengaluru Bulls star added.
As for Siddharth Desai, who set the stadiums on fire with his debut performance in Pro Kabaddi season 6, his love for music and a fondness for his mother's cooking is keeping him occupied during this quarantine period.
Ardent fans of the towering raider will be well versed with Desai's skill with the guitar. The Telugu Titans star shed light on how he's using this lockdown period to hone his music skills.
"My passion after Kabaddi is music. I am learning to play new songs with the guitar and recording some new songs. Music has always been a stress buster for me, it helps me stay calm and relaxed. I'm learning to play a couple of new Bollywood songs," said Siddharth Desai.
The former U Mumba raider is a fitness freak and ensures that he does the regular cardio exercises to keep in touch with his fitness routine. And, notably, Siddharth Desai is not the only sports star in the Desai household, with his older brother, Pro Kabaddi star Suraj Desai also joining his younger brother for the fitness drills.
When probed about how the duo are spending this time without being able to get onto the mat, the younger Desai emphasised on their commitment to fitness. Although the lockdown period has put some activities on hold, they have managed to use tyres, sticks and other utility items to setup innovative fitness methods.
"The lockdown hasn’t been able to keep either of us away from fitness, in fact we have been using this time to focus more on our fitness as we don’t want to leave the practice of exercising," the Telugu Titans star raider added.
No doubt, there's a lot of fame and glory attached to playing in the Pro Kabaddi League. However, in these times of crisis, the Pro Kabaddi stars are making the most of their time at home and are trying to pick up a few skills from their family members.
More importantly though, these kabaddi superstars have found ways to marry passions that they had to abandon previously with objectives that might well define their career in the future. Consequently, it has provided inspiration to countless individuals that the lockdown could yet be a boon to further oneself as an individual.
After all, you’re never too old or young to learn something new, are you?