Indian hockey midfielder Manpreet Singh has thrown down the gauntlet to Virat Kohli and the entire Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad, challenging them to a joint training session and yo-yo test competition. The remarks came during an interview with RevSportz, where Manpreet was asked about competing against Kohli in a fitness challenge.
Manpreet's Invitation
Manpreet, widely regarded as one of the fittest players in Indian hockey, expressed his desire for a collaborative 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.
Fitness Requirements in Hockey vs Cricket
During the interaction, Manpreet elaborated on the distinct skill sets and fitness demands of hockey and cricket. "Hockey being a very fast game, our speed test is also very fast and trainings are very hard. If we talk about yo-yo test, goalkeepers have a minimum of 20. In a game of hockey, you move from one corner to the other in 2-3 seconds so, to maintain that, our speed, intensity etc. are monitored during our sessions. Only this way we can be fit enough to perform well at the international levels."
He acknowledged the difficulty of cricket as well. "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," Manpreet added.
Kohli's Previous Comments
Manpreet's comments came after Kohli recently praised the fitness standards of Indian hockey players during the third edition of the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit. "I know people sometimes look at fitness as something extraordinary, but for me it's simply what the job demands. It should be the norm, not something celebrated as special. Cricket is in such prime focus in our country that we often overlook other sports."
"If I'm being brutally honest, we are not even 15% of the fitness of an Indian hockey player. If the hockey players watch our training sessions, they'd probably laugh because their sport demands far more, physically," Kohli had said.
Former India mental conditioning and strategic leadership coach Paddy Upton had once remarked that Kohli would be the only cricketer capable of surviving a session with the Indian hockey team.
