Farming activities have kept my mind off football, asserts Amarjit Singh Kiyam

The pandemic situation has been frustrating, which has seen many athletes take unusual ways to keep themselves occupied at their respective homes. 2017 U17 FIFA World Cup star Amarjit Singh Kiyam has taken time off from the game and is busy helping his family by farming paddy fields in the outskirts of Imphal, his hometown. When asked about how he’s been keeping up with his part-time job, the footballer stated that it is always good to indulge in a hobby during these tough times, which keeps the mind diverted from football.

"It's always nice to have some sort of activity as a hobby -- something that helps keep your mind off football for a couple of hours every day. I think farming has done that for me. The amount of knowledge about the land and the crop that you acquire while farming is something that I would never have realised before taking up the activity myself. I'm really enjoying this activity,” said Amarjit Singh Kiyam, as reported by IndiaTV.com.

Amarjit Singh started his club career with Indian Arrows in the I-League, but was soon roped in by ISL outfits Jamshedpur FC, having made eight appearances for the Red Miners so far. Simultaneously, the midfielder earned his first International cap against Curacao in the King’s Cup last year. It has been a busy couple of years for the footballer, but he is happy to spend time with his family and feels this the least he could have done for all the sacrifices they’ve made over the years.

"They had given me so much and sacrificed so much to help me become a footballer. The least I can do is help them out on the paddy field. It also gives me the opportunity to bond with my father. It makes them happy to see their son helping out in the farm. This is my way of showing that I have not forgotten the hardships we have all faced together previously. If we all work with each other, we all can overcome anything," added the footballer.