Indian Powerlifter Arthi Arun on Monday expressed elation after gyms reopened in Chennai and said she is now focusing on her preparation for the Asian Powerlifting Championship.
Arun, who is an Asian Powerlifting Championship gold medallist, admitted that during the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, it was difficult for her to train at home due to lack of proper equipment.
"I am extremely happy that the government of Tamil Nadu has finally permitted the gyms to open. Not only me, but the entire sports community is going to be benefitted by this move," Arun told .
"Being a powerlifter, I have to train with multiple equipments and it is very difficult to train at home with lesser weights. We have a proper schedule which we follow, which is off season training and seasonal training which will be supervised by a coach but when there is break, it becomes a challenge for us to get back in form," she added.
Arun, who won five gold medals in the Commonwealth Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships 2019, said she is all focused on regaining her form and strength for the upcoming Asian Powerlifting Championship.
"I have an Asian Powerlifting Championship coming in December 2020 in Indonesia. It is going to take me more than three months to regain my form which I had before the lockdown. Being a Commonwealth Powerlifting gold medallist, it is going to be a bigger challenge for me but I accept the challenge and want to set an example for the younger generation," Arun said.
( With inputs from ANI )