Nursing athletes allowed to bring children to Tokyo Olympics

Welterweight boxer Lovlina Borgohain is at home in Assam's Golaghat instead of the Indian boxing camp preparing for her maiden Olympic Games. Boxers will be back training by June 10, the federation has said. The plan is to get them to Patiala under one roof.

"I am training but there are challenges. Coaches send exercise videos on a Whatsapp group. I watch those and workout. I'm only able to train once a day," she said.

The 22-year-old has a punching bag and does shadow boxing in addition to push ups, squats, full body and high-knee exercises which she needs to do twice a day.

"During the lockdown, getting chicken to eat every day is tough. Maintaining my diet is difficult as we eat rice for all meals at home. I tend to gain weight easily. Boxing has weight categories, I have to keep my weight in check," she shared.

Training in these times is difficult but Borgohain is motivated by her old bout videos.

Saurabh Chaudhary is just 18 years old, but raring to go. The youngster qualified in the 10 metre air pistol competition.

"I was ready for the Olympics even if it were to happen this year. However, I am happy with the extended time. I can utilise it to practice and get better," he said.

At home in Meerut, Chaudhary is following his daily workout routine and keeping his focus sharp.

"I do regular running and use thera bands to do exercises. I have a shooting range setup at home where I make it a point to practice for about 4-6 hours daily," the teenager added.

Daily meditation and yoga help the 2018 Asian Games gold medalist keep his mind sharp.

Middleweight boxer Ashish Kumar is in Sundernagar, Himachal Pradesh staying at his brother, Sandeep Choudhary's house.

The 25-year-old said, "I am taking the Olympic postponement positively and working on being stronger by next year. My focus is on my form; I want to give my best in Japan."

Kumar has basic gear like gloves, punching and kick bags. "I make sure I do warm-up rounds in an open area and then start training. My brother is a boxer, too and helps me train every day," he shared.

The plan is to build on an offensive style of boxing. "I do strength workouts without equipment. I pick up my partner and jog, do the tiger walk and other variations of body weight exercises," Kumar explained.

Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra considers the Olympics the biggest sports stage.

"I'm hoping and praying that we can all get through this pandemic safely. The chance to represent India and do well at the Olympics is always on my mind and I'm looking forward to it," he said.

The 22-year-old is currently at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala. "It is not an easy situation since I am used to a set training routine. On usual days, my schedule is planned around training on the field and work in the gym. It's tough not to have that," Chopra said.

The 2018 Asian Games gold medalist didn't have access to the track at the NIS in Punjab till Sunday, May 24. They will be allowed outdoor practice from today.

"I am focussing on conditioning and fitness using the hostel area and stairs. I do shuttle runs, slackline and core exercises. I try to keep my normal routine and train twice a day keeping a positive mindset. Breaks do affect the mentality of an athlete. I have to make sure negative thoughts don’t affect me. I love listening to music which helps," Chopra shared.