When he heard about the nationwide lockdown from his parents in March last year, Riddhiman Banerjee, then a Class V student, was really worried. “I love skating and thought that the lockdown would hamper my classes and practise. But it turned out to be the opposite! I got ample time and space to train, as there was no school for a while and all the roads were empty,” said the 11-year-old, who, along with fellow skaters, is again making the best use of the current lockdown.
Moreover, since they are training solo, they don’t have to worry about following COVID protocols. “I go out to skate on the street with my father. And since I don’t go near anyone or skate in crowded places, I don’t have worry about the risk of contracting COVID. Moreover, it’s difficult to train with a mask on, as it hampers my breathing. So, I prefer to skate on totally empty roads where wearing a mask isn’t a necessity,” said Radhika Kejriwal, 12.
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ACTION ON EMPTY STREETS
Training for four-five hours every day is normal for serious skaters. This includes a strict fitness regimen to build stamina, agility and speed along with two-three hours of skating. “Before the lockdown, I used to divide my exercise schedule into two parts. I would run and do planks and bending in the morning and go for skating classes in the evening. Now, I skate on the streets for two-four hours early in the morning and then do the exercises after I return home,” said Lake Town-based Garv Kejriwal, 14.
When it comes to training on streets, the skaters told us that it can be as safe as doing it on a
rink, provided they exercise some caution. Suraj Samal, 15, said he mostly skates on the streets early in the morning. “Because of the lockdown, the roads are totally empty in the morning,” he said, adding that it’s always safe to avoid busy roads.
Besides, the skaters enjoy zipping up and down the empty streets. “The landscape is constantly changing and skating on an open road early in the morning is always a beautiful experience,” said Tasheer Hussain, 14, another skater.
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PERKS OF STREET SKATING
Alimuddin Ansari, coach of the Bengal team, said there are several advantages of training on roads. “It increases confidence as a rink is a safe, enclosed area, and a road is anything but that. When skaters face all the hurdles on the streets they become more confident and that shows when they hit the rink. This confidence is very important in our sport,” he said.
Moreover, a skating rink is a relatively smoother surface compared to a rough, bitumen-covered road. “So, one has to apply more power to skate on a road than in the rink. So, it also increases a skater’s strength and stamina by a great deal,” Alimuddin added.
A CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT
The parents of these skaters are simply happy that their kids are using their free time to pursue a passion. Garv’s mother Khushboo Kejriwal said her son, like children across the country, has not attended regular school for over a year now. “I can imagine how painful and monotonous that must be for him. So, seeing him go out every morning to skate makes me really happy. At least he’s spending his free time in a constructive manner and is totally enjoying it,” she added.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/city-skaters-are-making-the-most-of-the-lockdown/articleshow/83480029.cms
