Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health in Indian Sports: A Step in the Right Direction

During the past few years, India has progressed as a nation in the field of sports. India is still growing and adapting to new aspects in the sector. In the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, India had its best ever medal tally winning 1 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals. Despite the pandemic, India had sent its largest contingent to the Olympics. The performance of athletes has persuaded people to start a dialogue on several aspects of sports ecosystem which can enable India to utilize the full potential of our sportspersons. Given the pandemic people have started understanding the concept and relation of psychology, well-being and sports but one such issue that needs to be addressed to improve the current scenario of sports in India to an extent is Mental Health issue which is still not openly discussed in India. Mental health professionals are working with athletes to remove this stigma, as mental health is still taboo. According to Keyes (2002), “mental health includes emotional well-being, psychological well-being and social well- being of an individual”.

Mental health professionals have played a significant role in helping athletes to build their mental strength at a very initial stage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has addressed the issue of mental health in India several times in his talks. During his “mann ki baat” talk, he threw light on the mental health issues, focusing on depression.[i] He also highlighted that “depression and poor mental health are a cause of worry”. He asked the nation to “watch out for early signs of mental health issues and discuss the same with a professional”.[ii] Further, he advised citizens not to hesitate in seeking the help of a professional.

Many Indian athletes have shared their stories of struggle with mental health issues that have eventually encourage millions of individual who are still hesitant to talk about psychological issues. Virat Kohli, captain of the Indian national cricket team, talked about a phase in his life where he suffered from depression after the failure in England in 2014. He revealed a phase in his life when he felt that he was the loneliest guy in the world. He stated that he didn’t know what to do and what to say to anybody.[iii] He now thinks it is important to take rest days and keep one’s mind at ease.

PV Sindhu, an Indian professional badminton player, claimed that she was on the verge of depression after being out of commission for six months just before the Olympics qualification. “When I had a stress fracture in 2015, I had pain but didn’t tell anyone. I was bearing that pain and then told my dad that there was pain, and we went. The 2016 Olympics qualification was there, and I was almost depressed. I played almost 22 tournaments after the injury and got selected for Rio. It was not a small injury. Even though I was injured, I was doing my upper body exercise. I believed that I could do it, and I have done it”.[iv] Neeraj Chopra, who has recently won gold for India, was so confident during his throw that he didn’t even look back. In his post-match win interview, he said “I have worked on my physical as well as mental health and thus I was able to perform well in the match”.

Many factors affect the confidence of athletes. One can have a high level of fear of failure. Fear of failure and well-being both have a positive correlation. Previous research has shown that fear of failure is related to high levels of fatigue, psychological stress, concern, and anxiety. Even more, it was recently demonstrated that it is a strong predictor of sport anxiety. Hence, it has been confirmed that fear of failure affects well-being, interpersonal behavior, and players' performance. Considering the economic background of athletes, many of whom are deprived of basic things, whether being the infrastructure, coaching, health, everything is compromised to the extent that they have to deal with emotional and mental health issues which have a bearing on their accomplishments. Their hard work performs as reinforcement for them to improve, but their emotional and mental stability can help them accomplish their goals. That is how overall psychology relates and connects.

In the Tokyo Olympics 2021, Indian athletes have shown tremendous efforts and hard work, but there are certain aspects on which there is a lot more work to be done. These issues should be addressed on priority basis only then substantial change can be expected. The more the individual will be emotionally and mentally stable, the more they will be able to give better results and perform well. There are different factors that can affect the overall well-being, including emotional, financial, social and societal. These factors have a tremendous level of effect on the individual’s overall well-being, which eventually impacts the athlete’s performance.

The Government is constantly working for the betterment and improvement of the sports field. There are many such programmes that have been initiated by the government in the past few years, which have started showing significant results. For instance, the Khelo India Programme, which PM Narendra Modi launched, it has been a successful mission and has encouraged millions of youngsters to build their career in sports. Such programmes benefit athletes to uplift their mental strength and give a boost to move in the right direction. The institutional mechanisms get strengthened acting as a support system for the athletes in a way which enhances the confidence of players. More such schemes and programmes should be introduced in India as it not only helps in publicizing and promoting the need and importance of sports, but it also helps in motivating youth to participate.

There are many known figures that are promoting and investing in sports. Ronnie Screwvala, a successful businessman and Bollywood director, launched the Tata Trust U dream football programme. Nita Ambani, a successful business-woman, started the ISL league in India, which gained popularity. There are leagues which have been initiated by these figures with huge investments like ISL, IPL and Pro Kabaddi league. This gives a platform to the player for exhibiting their talent at a large scale. They also provide amenities to the athlete that supports them to fight against socio-economic barriers. These are the mediums through which sports can always be a topic of interest and discussion and motivate many.

Considering the mental health issue, there is an important need for a sports psychologist in every professional academy or sports place. A sports psychologist is as essential as a trainer or a medical advisor. India should start prioritizing mental health akin to physical health, and to some extent, it has during the years.

To conclude, for a developing nation like India, there is still a long way to go in the field of sports. Athletes are participating from different areas and in different fields of sports. If the focus on the overall development of an athlete considering all the above-mentioned factors will be more, then, in the coming few years, no one can stop India from making major strides in this field.

Views expressed by the author are personal.