Individual training very different from what we get in ring: Amit Panghal

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Boxers will need around two weeks to get back to the level they were at before the COVID-19 pandemic brought sports to a standstill, according to Amit Panghal. The 2019 World Championships silver medallist believes that while stadiums have been opened up, it will take longer for those in contact sports like boxing to get back to full training.

"It will take two weeks at least to sharpen our skills. Because it's a contact sport I am sure we will restart training later than many other sports, so we will have to work on our reflexes again," Paghal told IANS.

"We will also have to work on getting our endurance back. Right now only individual training is happening and that is very different from the kind of practice we get inside the ring.

"But I am confident that whatever plans the Sports Ministry or Sports Authority of India set for us, they will be good enough for preparing for the Olympics. There is more time now for the Olympics so I am confident that Indian can still get a very good haul from there."

The opening of stadiums and sports complexes for athletes was among the guidelines issued by the government on Sunday while announcing an extension of the nationwide lockdown that is in place to stem the spread of coronavirus.

While Panghal expected the lockdown to be extended after May 17, the opening up of stadiums was not something he anticipated. "No I didn't expect that. No one really knows anything at the moment so it's difficult to expect or not expect anything. I was sure that the lockdown will be extended considering the number of people falling sick. But I had not expected stadiums to be opened," he said.

He said that the prolonged period of individual training he has been doing at home is more to keep his fitness up so as to ensure that it is only his skills and endurance he has to worry about once full training resumes.

"Well, I can't work on my skills at all for now. I work only on my fitness because if that is maintained then we can still work on skills once everything resumes," he said.

"At the moment nothing is confirmed. The federation said that they will give us instructions once the lockdown opens. But yes, the thought process is to ensure that those in contention for the Olympics will be given priority."