India's hockey star invites Virat Kohli, RCB for fitness contest
What's the story
Manpreet Singh, a prominent member of the Indian hockey team, has challenged Virat Kohli and his Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad to a fitness contest. He proposed a joint-training session with the hockey team to determine the fitness levels. The challenge comes after Kohli admitted that hockey players are generally fitter than cricketers due to the physical demands of their sport.
Challenge details
Manpreet invites Kohli, RCB for training session
Speaking to RevSportz, Manpreet invited Kohli and the entire RCB squad for a training session. "Obviously. We want to invite Virat and the entire RCB team to come and do a training session with us. We will compete against each other," he said. Notably, Kohli has been among the top performers in the BCCI's Yo-Yo Test. As per reports, the Indian batter has scored 21.6, one of the best among Indian cricketers.
Fitness comparison
Kohli's initial comments on hockey players' fitness
In an earlier interview, Kohli said, "Cricket is in such prime focus in our country that we often overlook other sports. "If I am being honest, we aren't even 15% of the fitness of an Indian hockey player. If the hockey players watch our training sessions, they would laugh because their sport demands far more," added the veteran Indian batter.
Respectful exchange
Mutual respect between athletes from different sports
Manpreet's response to the fitness challenge shows mutual respect between athletes from two different sports. He said, "If you look, their game is also difficult. The ball comes so fast. If you ask us to bat, that will be difficult too. The ball comes in at 150 kph speed and that is also difficult. His game's requirement is different, and ours is too. His is about eye contact, batting, position, and other things."