Boria Majumdar
Mental Health. Heavy words. As if it isn’t normal to have a mental-health issue. It is as if a person is weak. How can someone mentally fragile play sport, and how can he or she be successful?
Every person has his or her vulnerabilities. And it is perfectly normal. Imagine the kind of mental pressure a Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma will be under when they play Australia on October 19. But then, is it wrong for Rohit or Kohli to feel that apprehension? Isn’t it normal to be anxious, to feel the nervous energy? What’s the issue if they express it in public?
On the eve of World Mental Health Day, I want to go back to Abhinav Bindra. “Sport has taught me how to lose,” he once said. “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 the conversation. “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.”
Also, when I asked Murali Sreeshankar, India’s ace long jumper, how he dealt with an operation, he said: “That’s sport for you. It is a life lesson. It is on you to find it cruel or find it rewarding. Should I try or give up? Sport is the best teacher I have had.”
As we observe World Mental Health Day, it is safe to say that it is indeed okay to fail. If a couple of Indian stalwarts don’t have the best day against Australia, that’s understandable. Sport is real. Not reel. 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.
Finally, it is absolutely essential that we encourage conversation on the subject. Create awareness and make people conscious. In sync with this idea, we will do a slew of shows today, October 10, on the subject of mental health. At 12 noon, we have Sania Mirza opening up on a host of issues and speaking brilliantly on the subject. She is one of the most articulate Indian athletes, and to hear Sania on how she dealt with the challenges that came her way is a lesson for every aspiring athlete.
We will have experts in Dr Mukesh Gupta and Dr Reema Sircar join us. And last, but not least, we will have Mirabai Chanu, back with a world championship silver medal last week, open up on how she dealt with mental-health challenges in the last two years when she was down with multiple injuries.
Each of these shows is supported by BSV – A Mankind Group Company – and I must personally acknowledge the backing of Sanjiv Navangul, one of our biggest supporters and one of my closest friends.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news