Isolation Diaries: With Indian boxer Manish Kaushik
The 24-year-old has been spending time with cousins and re-watching a popular mythological show.
Indian boxer Manish Kaushik has created waves already with a gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and added a bronze at the World Championships last year.
In March 2020, he also qualified for his maiden Olympics at the Asian boxing Olympic qualifiers in Amman, Jordan; one of the final few tournaments before everything was shut down due to the pandemic.
The Olympic Channel spoke to Manish Kaushik recently to know his lockdown routines at home in Devsar, a small village near Bhiwani, and learnt that one could indeed survive without using the internet 24/7.
When was the last time you were indoors for this long?
I genuinely cannot remember a time like this. Must have been during my childhood, in school probably.
How do you spend your time at home?
I live in a joint family, so I have plenty of options to entertain myself.
I usually play along with the younger cousins, indoor cricket is one of our favourite pastimes.
Any task you have found yourself to be poor at?
Nothing as such, I did not do any household chores even earlier, so the situation has not changed much (chuckles).
A TV series or book that you have enjoyed.
I am currently watching and enjoying Ramayan (a popular mythological show from the late 80s) on Doordarshan*.
*Doordarshan, India’s national broadcaster, started airing episodes of Ramayan when the lockdown began.
A person you have video-called with the most.
I do not use the internet much at home, so video calls have not happened other than BFI’s sessions every other day.
Your preferred way to workout at home?
I do a variety of things - cycling, skipping and some other bodyweight training; I don't really have a favourite routine.
What's your diet been like in these times?
Obviously, I’m not able to follow a diet as I would during regular training but I make do as best as I can with home food, I try to consume many fruits as well.
First thing you will do after the lockdown ends.
I would really like to get back to the national camp, it was supposed to begin before the lockdown, and get my Olympics preparations back on track.