Isolation Diaries: With Indian hockey forward Vandana Katariya

Indian hockey forward Vandana Katariya has been a big part of the women’s team ever since her debut for the senior team in 2007.

Her experience has been key in the Indian hockey women’s team’s medals at the previous two Asian Games and her constant attacking threat makes her a pest in the opposition defence.

The Olympic Channel spoke to Vandana Katariya recently and discovered that she is quite a diligent student of the game, making her a coach’s delight.

Last time you were indoors for this long?

This has to be the first time that I have gone through something of this sort.

How do you spend your time in quarantine?

We are residing at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) campus in Bengaluru so it's mostly about following the schedules given to us.

I do some exercises and watch a bit of television. I have also taken to watching replays of the Indian hockey team's previous matches on my iPad.

One new skill you learnt.

I have tried my hand at drawing during this period.

I think I am alright at it so far. It is a good pastime in my room.

A TV series or book that you have enjoyed.

Oh, I have watched a number of different shows and movies on television, cannot really pinpoint any one of them as a favourite.

Your preferred way to workout these days?

I like all the core exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups and crunches.

The main thing for us is to play hockey on the field, but since we have not been able to do that in the last few days, we have focussed on maintaining our fitness.

What has your diet been like in the past month?

Must say that it has not really altered too much.

The only difference is that I’m staying away from non-vegetarian food, so it is mostly vegetables at the moment.

First thing you will do after isolation ends.

I definitely want to start playing hockey on the turf. I would go to the ground and start practicing with the stick.