I am lucky to be part of this Indian team: Sandesh Jhingan

The desire to hit the ground running on return has kept the Indian team footballers motivated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, says defender Sandesh Jhingan.

The players have been forced to stay away from the pitch as the unprecedented global health crisis has led to either cancellation or postponement of all sporting events.

"I'm lucky to be a part of this team. We keep in touch with the coaching staff -- they keep giving us training programmes and monitor our progress," said Jhingan, whose daily fitness routine begins at 4.30 am.

"We should focus on things that are under our control at the moment, and fitness is one of those things," he stated.

The 26-year-old was joined by others from the footballing community in South Asia Bhutan captain Karma Shedrup Tshering, Maldives captain Akram Abdul Ghani, Pakistan goalkeeper Yousuf Butt, Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuyan, and Sri Lankan referee Nivon Robesh as they discussed the COVID-19 lockdown situation in their respective countries.

The ...