Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday urged the sportspersons of Assam to continue their practices to keep them motivated even during the lockdown.

Sonowal’s appeal to the sportspersons is significant in view of COVID19 pandemic and its repercussions in the field of sports, several national and international sports events have either been postponed or cancelled.

Chairing a meeting with the office-bearers of Assam Olympic Association (AOA) and some of the promising players at Brahmaputra State Guest House in Guwahati on Saturday, Sonowal asked the players of the state to remain focused.

Sonowal said like most other parts of the world, the novel coronavirus has had its impact in Assam as well, resulting in lockdown to contain and control the spread of the virus.

He said the promising sportspersons should take the time to introspect their past performances and focus on their future with right kind of commitment and motivation.

Chief minister Sonowal also said for a sportsperson, physical fitness is one of the most vital requirements to excel in his or her vocation.

He urged the players not to be bogged down by the pandemic and use the time to upkeep their physical fitness following all norms of social distancing.

Sonowal, who is also the president of Assam Olympic Association, asked the office-bearers of the Association to give right kind of facilities to the players to help them keep their tempo going.

He also said during the lockdown period, he took out his time to have telephonic conversation with the office-bearers of the sports associations at the district levels and asked them to keep themselves focused and help the players of their respective districts after the lockdown.

He also said the state government would render all possible help to different sports bodies so as to enable them to follow their fixtures during the post lockdown period.

The office-bearers of AOA during the meeting expressed their gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having imposed the lockdown to fight against novel coronavirus.

They also said that they on their parts along with the sports persons did their best in creating awareness among the public to adhere to the norms of lockdown.

The players also apprised the chief minister as to how they continued their practice keeping themselves inside and following the lockdown protocols.