Bengaluru, Sep 26 (IANS): Indian men's hockey team defender Birendra Lakra believes it's important for the side to stay motivated when there are no competitions around amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

"This situation is something no one would have faced before but as athletes we need to have a positive outlook and it is important to remain motivated," Lakra said.

"When I was injured, it used to bother me a lot that I couldn't do most of the things I could have normally done, I was dependent on someone else. Also watching my teammates play matches and I couldn't, it was difficult. But that phase has helped me face the challenges during lockdown," the 30-year-old added.

With global hockey resuming with the FIH Hockey Pro League starting earlier this week, Lakra is optimistic about the team's future.

"Personally, I feel it's great that we could return to national camp. Thanks to Hockey India, we are probably one of the few sports in the country who are able to begin sports activities and ensure our preparations for Olympics are not too hampered," explained the experienced defender.

"Though there is no competition in the upcoming months, it was very important to return to camp so that we could start slow, not rush into getting back to form. It was important to do this in order to avoid any injuries because we were restarting after a long gap," he added.