New Delhi, Mar 29 (IANS): The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) became the first national sports federation in the country to reach out to its players through video conferencing to guide and motivate them during the 21-day lockdown as India battles COVID-19.

BFI President Ajay Singh spoke at length on Sunday and checked on the health, training regimen, nutrition and mental well-being of all the boxers.

"This is a challenging time for all of us and is all the more a reason for us to take care of ourselves. My message to all our boxers is to stay fit, continue with the exercises as directed by the coaches and try to maintain your weights as much as possible. We will tide over this crisis soon and get back to the ring but staying motivated in the meantime is absolutely necessary," said Ajay Singh.

A core group comprising all Olympics qualified boxers, coaches and support staff including doctors and physios has been set up to take care of the needs of the boxers and on a daily basis these conferences will be conducted.

Coaches will be conducting sessions and talk to the players every day for an hour to keep them motivated and help them to stay positive during this crisis.

President Ajay Singh, Executive Director R.K. Sacheti and other BFI officials will be monitoring these meetings and will keep a tab on the boxers' requirements.