Gopi, Umesh to interact with city sportspersons
   Date :13-Jul-2020

Gopi Umesh _1  
 
 
 
Principal Correspondent ;
 
CITY sportspersons are in for a treat as they would be getting a chance to interact online with several international sports stars including Olympians of the country. If all goes well, the Physical Education and Sports Department of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University will be roping in several international repute athletes for a Webinar who will guide city’s athletes, sportspersons, trainers, coaches on how to keep themselves motivated during this lockdown period.
 
Sports stars like Indian Test cricketer Umesh Yadav, Olympian Anand Menzes, Indian badminton chief coach and former All England champion Pullela Gopichand, Arjuna Awardee kabaddi player Shakuntala Khatawkar and swimmer Veerdhawal Khade are likely to be part of the Webinar which the RTMNU Sports Department is planning. “We are in talks with these athletes. Once we get confirmation from these renowned players we would announce the dates. It might be held next month,” Dr Sharad Suryawanshi, Director, Department of Physical Education and Sports, RTMNU, informed ‘The Hitavada’. Since March 25, sports activities have taken a beating in entire country.
 
Though training with government guidelines are permitted, the actual competition is yet to get green signal. City sportspersons have started outdoor training but all are eagerly waiting for competitions. Some are even getting anxious and frustrated. The Webinar has been planned to keep players away from frustration. “During the Webinar, international players would interact with the city’s sportspersons and will guide them on how to deal with the situation and keep themselves motivated,” Dr Suryawanshi added. The six-day Webinar will also help players in preparing them for the forthcoming competitions which are likely to begin from the month of September.
 
The Webinar will be open for senior as well as junior sportspersons, students, coaches and other officials of sports associations. The organisers are expecting around 1000 participants for the Webinar.