From the set to the stadium
Updated On: 24 April, 2024 05:09 AM IST | Mumbai | Sonia Lulla
Arvind Krishna, the only Indian actor in international basketball leagues, pulls off physical transformations for films while dunking the ball. He tells us how he juggles both worlds
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Arvind Krishna
In describing his training as part of his association with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), Telugu actor Arvind Krishna paints the most accurate picture of sport-specific training. Being on the field and competing with players significantly taller than him, he discusses the need to maintain his balance when shoved by opponents, leap high to dunk the ball while being dragged down by his competitors, and display commendable agility to navigate them on the court.
If you’ve rarely been introduced to the fascinating science of how sports training is designed to make an athlete shine during the game, Krishna shares a glimpse. “I’m surrounded by guys who are 6 feet and 6 inches tall. So, for me to pull my shot, I need to jump really high and hold myself in the air for a longer period. This ‘hang time’ is dependent on your core strength. So, I have to make sure that I train my core. Ours is a physical sport involving contact. So, to gather ourselves after we are pushed by opponents, we mimic the movements in the gym to build efficiency. For instance, while training, we will have people thrust us with huge sandbags as we try to resist the push. This mimics what we endure on the court. You’ll also see us train with heavy bags on ourselves, and this is because, when we jump to [dunk the ball], we’re jumping with not only our weight but also the weight of the players around us who are attempting to resist us. To mimic that force, we train accordingly. We also train with ankle weights, because that teaches [us to balance ourselves]. When we land, we may land on a player’s foot, and this practice teaches us to deal with that imbalance,” says the athlete-actor, who has starred in Rushi, Lots of Love, and A Masterpiece, a superhero venture.
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