Hindustan Times :: Fit to Govern

Hindustan Times

Namita Bhandare
New Delhi, June 9, 2005

They’re the face of the new generation in Parliament. And they look the part. Shed your preconceived notions about overweight gents in khadi. These men are lean, mean fighting machines. Namita Bhandare talks to the fittest MPs in Parliament.

	Omar Abdullah trains in Krav Maga from Vicky Kapoor (Vikram)

Omar Abdullah
(National Conference, Srinagar)

The MP from Srinagar, with model looks and physique, says he’d like to shed a few inches around his waist plus another half dozen kilos. His considerable (female) fan following would like to differ, but Omar himself says he doesn’t really consider himself fit.

“One should never be satisfied about one’s weight,” says the former minister. But a hectic travel schedule leaves him with an irregular exercise regime. Moreover, because of security constraints he can’t really go jogging or cyling as he’d like to.

When he’s in Delhi, however, Omar and his wife Payal train in Krav-Maga, an Israeli form of martial arts, four times a week with Vicky Kapoor (Vikram). Abdullah also heads out to the Delhi Gymkhana Club to play tennis when he can. Adventure sports (white water rafting and skiing) are another big magnet for him.

Jyotiraditya Scindia
(Congress, Guna)

Works out for an hour for four days a week, including two days of cardio and weights with a trainer at his home gym, a weekly swim at the Delhi Gymkhana or Rashtrapati Bhavan pool and a weekly game of badminton at home. Add to this his passion for cricket, a love that he’s inherited from his father the late Madhavrao Scindia.

The MP from Guna has been organising weekend cricket matches with a Parliament team, where ‘you sweat like a dog’. “Weight has always been a problem in my family,” he says. “It needs to be controlled.”

Milind Deora
(Congress, South Mumbai)

The debutant MP exercises thrice a week — typically, cardio and, sometimes, light weights. “I’d like to work out every day but never seem to find the time,” complains Milind. “I think of people as healthy or unhealthy and consider myself relatively healthy.

I don’t look at it in terms of being fit.” Milind says he’d like to improve his eating habits as he eats erratically — eating out or ordering take-out. He says he also eats ‘unhealthy’ food often. In the old days, he used to play squash regularly before a shoulder accident stopped him in his tracks.

However, he loves the outdoors and travels to the Coastal areas of Southern Maharashtra whenever he can. He enjoys trekking and scuba diving.

Naveen Jindal
(Congress, Hissar)

The polo-playing MP works out every morning at his home gym for 90 minutes. He has a yoga instructor who comes in, and also does light-weights. “You don’t build up strength with just yoga,” he says. During the polo season, Naveen plays four to five times a week (if his team is winning).

He also exercises his horses at Noida, though right now it’s too hot to do that. Naveen says he also likes walking and jogging.

Source: Hindustan Times

Other Related Posts

• Hindustan Times / Yahoo :: Passion for Bulwarking (0)
• The Hindustan Times :: Israeli Expert Gives Tips on Self-defence Techniques (1)
• New Kerela :: Israeli Military Skills Demonstrated in Delhi (0)
• The Hindustan Times :: Self-defence is Serious Business (0)
• Hindustan Times Newspaper :: Bangalore IT Pros Train in Israeli Survival Techniques (0)