IPOH, April 5 — The enforcement of the nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO) to curb the spread of Covid-19 is not an excuse to neglect physical training, especially for sportsmen.
Perak football captain Shahrul Mohd Saad, 23, for instance, spends at least an hour each day to do physical exercise at home.
The Harimau Malaya defender said despite training alone, he has been doing it consistently to maintain his fitness.
“Throughout the MCO period, I have set aside one hour for physical training every day, either in the morning or in the afternoon.
“I make full use of the fitness equipment at home. I think it helps to maintain a healthy level of fitness during this MCO period,” he told Bernama when contacted here today.
Shahrul said he also communicated with the team’s fitness coach Sam Pakiaraj frequently to ensure the home training is done properly and according to schedule.
He admitted that training alone is not as fun as training in a team.
“Sometimes it can be frustrating for not being able to meet other team members. Nonetheless, we must prioritise our safety and pray that the MCO will end soon,” he said.
His teammate, winger J. Parthiban, also allocates one hour every day to train using the fitness schedule prepared by their fitness coach as a guide.
He said he has to stick to the schedule because he suffered a hamstring injury in a Super League match against Selangor at Shah Alam Stadium on March 7.
“My training is more on the foot movement, ball work and some other light exercises. I’m recovering from the injury and I still follow the schedule,” he said. — Bernama
