Namita Nayyar:
You became the second Bengali female player after Madhumita Bisht Goswami to get into the senior Indian badminton squad. Share the challenges you faced at the personal & physical levels.
Rituparna Das:
I used to play in Haldia during weekdays but for better training, I had to go to Kolkata every weekend which was really difficult and tiring as it is a 3 hr journey. Before my first main nationals in under 13, I stayed in Kolkata for a month away from my family and friends which was really a big thing at that point in my life. After that, I got selected to train at the Gopichand academy and had to leave everyone to go and settle in a new place. This was really a big challenge because I was all alone in a new place with new people around. But I settled quite well and had amazing support to make me feel at home.
Namita Nayyar:
Share your daily fitness routine. 5 exercises that are sport-specific to help prevent injury?
Rituparna Das:
My fitness routine- morning my session starts at 8 am on court practice, so I leave for from my house a little early to do a few strengthening exercises before my practice. It’s a 3 hours session. Then In the evening, there are training sessions (track running /weight training).
Exercises to prevent injuries- good warm-up and stretching before training, strengthening exercises for different muscle groups, cool down after the training ends, need to stay hydrated.