New Delhi: The Indian women’s hockey team launched a fitness challenge Friday to raise funds for poor and migrant families whose lives have been affected by the nationwide lockdown to curb Covid-19.
The 18-day fitness challenge will see different members of the team doing fitness tasks ranging from burpees, lunges, squats to spiderman pushups, pogo hops and more.
It aims to raise money through crowdfunding — a player will set a new challenge everyday, tagging 10 people on their social media handles to take up the challenge and donate Rs 100 to the fundraiser.
Proceeds from the campaign will be donated to an NGO called Uday Foundation to provide basic necessities for patients hosted at various locations, migrant workers and slum dwellers. The funds will also be used to provide soaps and hand sanitisers along with food rations.
In a video featuring all the members of the team, the athletes urged others to join the fitness fundraiser as well and donate Rs 100 daily.
Our entire team has decided to help the needy families during these tough times of Covid-19 & help us reach the goal to feed 1000 families by donating Rs.100 to https://t.co/5lDjS52gsl #100da #TakeChallengeGive100 #Give100ForCOVID @TheHockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/TokVa5ltgi
— Rani Rampal (@imranirampal) April 17, 2020
“All of us in the Indian Women’s Hockey Team come from poor economic backgrounds and we have seen days when we have struggled for food and other basics. Today we are in a position to help and we want to ensure poor people get basics like food and sanitary kits,” said Vice Captain Savita Punia in a statement.
Echoing the sentiment, Captain Rani Rampal said, “A few days back when I was talking to my father, he said, ‘If you did not play hockey and lift us out of poverty then maybe we also would have been in the same condition as so many poor people today who are struggling to get food.’ When he said this to me, it broke my heart.”
“Everyone in the team has faced so many challenges due to poverty and we know the pain of not getting food. It’s thanks to hockey our lives are comfortable today but not everyone is this fortunate,” she added.
Rampal’s father was a cart-puller and survived on daily wages in Haryana.
Also read: Covid-19 forces BCCI and cricketers to brace for loss of income, pay cuts
Many laud the team’s efforts
Kickstarting the challenge, Rampal and another player Jyoti completed 500 jumps in over three minutes. Rampal tagged Minister of State for Sports Kiren Rijiju, actor Suniel Shetty, singer Diljit Dosanjh, wrestler Geeta Phogat among others to take part in the challenge.
We completed 500 jumps in 3:20 minutes! ??
Take this challenge & nominate 10 of your friends to do the same & help us reach the goal to feed 1000 families by donating Rs.100 to https://t.co/XlEst2tUCK
(1/2) pic.twitter.com/025oNweE8u
— Rani Rampal (@imranirampal) April 17, 2020
The initiative by these women was hailed by many including Rijiju, who said that it was an amazing initiative.
Amazing initiative of our Indian Women's Hockey! We are proud of your on-field and off-field performances for our nation. Well done @imranirampal and team!
We are united as #IndiaFightsCorona @TheHockeyIndia ?? https://t.co/s9dpBU6J6i
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) April 17, 2020
Psephologist Yashwant Deshmukh called the team’s effort a ‘Chak De’ moment, referring to the popular Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 2007 movie ‘Chak De India’ on women hockey players.
Dear @iamsrk, your #ChakDeIndia remains among my all time favourite. This is the #ChakDe moment you would be proud of. Please do support @imranirampal and entire Indian women’s hockey team to raise funds for poor !https://t.co/D9UhMOezkM
— Yashwant Deshmukh ?? (@YRDeshmukh) April 17, 2020
Also read: Wimbledon cancelled due to Covid-19 pandemic, first time since World War II