Mental Health. Much talked about, but really not well understood. Never really debated. And still not taken seriously. As if it isn’t normal to really deep dive into a discussion on the subject. I can have fever, and it’s okay. I can have pain. But the moment I have a mental-health issue, I am not okay. I am weak, and maybe not good enough. How can someone mentally fragile play sport, and how can he or she be successful? Also, you have to win, for otherwise you aren’t any good. It is a straightforward transaction – win and you are strong, lose and you are mentally fragile.
The truth is it is okay to be not alright. It is perfectly fine to be fragile and have anxieties. Be vulnerable. In fact, every person has his or her vulnerabilities. Imagine the kind of mental pressure a Neeraj Chopra was under in Paris. But then, was it wrong for Neeraj to feel that apprehension? Isn’t it normal to be anxious, to feel the nervous energy? What’s the issue if he feels a tad nervous?
Today, on World Mental Health Day, Abhinav Bindra put it very well, “Sport has taught me how to lose. To live life better. And be a better human being. It is not just about medals won or records broken. It is about who you are as a person and how sport has helped you become the person you are.”
Pullela Gopichand added to that. “You need to think what you have achieved as a sportsperson rather than what you haven’t,” he said. “There will always be someone who has done more or achieved more. If you think that way, you can never be happy.”
Both are right. Unless you have frailties, you aren’t human.
On mental health day, it is safe to say that it is indeed okay to fail. If a couple of Indian players don’t have the best day at the Olympics, that’s understandable. Sport is real. Not reel. That’s why Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty failed to medal in Paris. It was a blow, yes, but it happens. And we should all accept it and not push them to the brink. It is too big a price to pay, and each one deserves better.
Happy Mental Health Day to all.
In bringing these issues to the fore, we at RevSportz have planned a lot of shows through the day. We are doing a digital conclave with doctors and athletes, thanks to the support of Bharat Serums and Vaccines, our long standing supporter and partner. I must also thank Sanjiv Navangul, member of our advisory board, for his vision and support. And we are also going to stream an hour-long webinar with Abhinav Bindra, Rahul Todi, Amrut Joshi, Priyanka Prabhakar and Prantik Mazumdar, highlighting key issues on the subject. The webinar is supported by GameChanger Law Advisors, also a partner and long-standing supporter of ours.
I hope each of you watch. And, of course, benefit.
Also Read: Hardik Pandya could be India’s red-ball game-changer