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Lockdown gameplan: Footballer Hiba Faquih plays it cool as she juggles workout, baking
Faquih finds peace and happiness in painting, gardening, and baking
Sport has always been a priority in my life”, says 24-year-old Hiba Faquih who stays near NIBM road. Faquih started playing football at the age of 14. In the last edition of the Indian Women’s League (IWL), she represented Baroda FA. She has also represented the Maharashtra state women’s team for seven years. Faquih, who is extremely passionate about the game said, “I cannot begin to state how much I have learned from football and in order to do my bit and give back to the sport, I decided to pursue my masters in sports management from Loughborough University, UK”.
Faquih has also acquired the AIFF D and AFC C Football Coaching licenses and has coached a few girls’ teams in Maharashtra. At a very young age, she has worked with some of the professional sports league events around the globe.
Daily routine
Working on several sports events requires me to travel frequently. Some of the leagues I have worked on previously include the ICC Champions Trophy and Women’s World Cup, Indian Super League, Indian Premier League, Premier Badminton League, ICC Cricket World Cup. Anyone who works in sports will surely agree and understand the difficulty of having a daily routine as you are required to work odd hours as well as on weekends. As I cope with the hectic schedule, I try and play as much football. Luckily for me, there is always a friend who is organising a small five-a-side game. I also participate in several competitive leagues around the year which includes the IWL and few other local tournaments.
Lockdown routine
I really struggled at the start as I am someone who is always on the go. However, I decided to make the most of this time to spend time with my family and have a regular workout routine. It took me a little while but I finally came up with a time-table in which I spend the first half of my day working from home. After wrapping up work, I have dedicated an hour or 90 minutes to a work out regime, comprising of various stretches and floor exercises.
In the evening I cook and do household chores. The whole family has dinner together and then we play some board games or watch TV before going to bed.
No gym
Since I am unable to go out and play football like I usually do, I try and work on my fitness and strength, as that is something I usually do not get the time to do. With the time I have, I follow several home workout routines every day. I do some bodyweight exercises as well. Since I do not have access to gym equipment, I have to make the most of what I have at home, so sometimes I use a backpack filled with books as weights, and go up and down the stairs to include cardio in my lockdown routine.
Hobby
I do have a creative side in me which finds peace and happiness in painting, gardening, and baking. I dedicate some time of the day to either one of these activities as it helps me keep my mind off things. I believe it is very important for people to spend some time doing what they enjoy. I hope all of us can continue doing the same even after the lockdown comes to an end in the future.
