Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Heroes behind the scene
|
Fitness training is proving to be a viable career option now with more and more young sportspersons taking it up
|
KEEPING THEM IN GREAT SHAPE (From left) Physical trainers Kamalahasan, K. R. Sivakumar, K. Palanivel and Satha Murugan PHOTO: R. Ragu
The Mithali Raj-led Indian cricket team, which finished runner-up in the women's World Cup in South Africa a few months ago, had a fitness trainer from Chennai — K. R. Sivakumar.
The 32-year-old has been assisting the team for the past two-and-a-half years. Not many are aware, though, that Sivakumar, an Assistant Welfare Officer with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB), is a hoopster of considerable prowess, who represented the State for nine years and was a member of five National winning squads.
Passion for fitness
Sivakumar's last appearance in a National was in Hyderabad 2003. Thereafter, his passion for fitness — his strength was in his sudden bursts — saw him make a foray into the field of fitness, personal as well as sports.
Over the years, sportsmen, usually athletes, have taken up fitness training as another career after their playing days. However, there has been a spurt of late — in sports fitness specifically — with ones like Basu, a National athlete who is the fitness trainer of the Tamil Nadu Ranji cricket team, and Sivakumar being prominent among the new bunch. There are others like Manoj (a football player) and Padmanabhan (athlete), who too are passionate about their work.
More and more young sportsmen are moving into the field of fitness, where men like Siddarthan is a veteran and Ramji Srinivasan, a former National-level athlete, are professionals of repute.
Said Ramji, fitness consultant of MRF Pace Foundation and Golds Gym, "It's good that more sportspersons are taking up fitness as a career. A sports background will surely help."
Ramji, however, stressed the need for a certification process. "One must understand that general and sports fitness are two different things. Fitness in sports is a specialisation, where technical qualifications are required," said Ramji, who helped international cricketers L. Balaji and Zaheer Khan recover from their injuries.
The business of fitness training is even proving to be a viable career option now. Youngsters like Kamalahasan, K. Palanivel and Satha Murugan, who have donned University colours in basketball, earn a living out of it by working at gyms and taking personal classes too.
Kamalahasan has worked with the State women's cricket and the State men's basketball teams, and has also been involved in the National Cricket Academy South Zone camp here.
Also guiding the younger lot is Dr. Hamsraj, a physiotherapist who is part of the medical team of both the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and Tamil Nadu Basketball Association.
"I guess the increase in fitness trainers reflects the growing awareness of fitness and the need for assistance for both individual and sporting outfits," said Dr. Hamsraj, who has assisted the State basketball association since 1992 and the State cricket association subsequently.
Hamsraj attended a fitness-training course at Union Memorial Hospital Sports Medicine Centre in Baltimore (U.S.) while undergoing a sports medicine training programme there in 2002.
Specialised training
"I conduct specialised training classes for these boys at my clinic (Physio Care), where I share all that I have learnt," said Dr. Hamsraj, who graduated from Madras Medical College in 1986.
"Fitness training is a career option now and I think sportspersons are better suited to it as they understand the components of fitness, having been through the grind themselves in their playing years," he said.
SANJAY RAJAN
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
|
