Mental toughness is key to survival

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Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli sprung a surprise when she announced her retirement at the age of 28, that too just 40 days after winning the title. Despite proving her prowess on court and scaling the peak, the teary-eyed Frenchwoman announced she is retiring due to a string of injuries that marred her career.

It’s also seems that weighing heavy must have been the pressure of handling criticism and shouldering the burden of expectations which naturally fall into a sportsperson’s share after a big win. And the defeat to world No. 25 Simona Halep in the second round of the Cincinnati Open proved to be the last turning point in Bartoli’s career.
Pressure of expectations can make or break a sportsperson. Therefore, apart from being physically fit, it is necessary for any sportsperson to be mentally tough, believe our sports stars.
Badminton champion Parupalli Kashyap feels sportspersons should be mentally trained to handle pressure. “Pressure is a part of a sportsperson’s life and it differs from person to person on how they deal with it. If you can’t handle it, then it’s tough to survive or sustain. One needs to develop a formula to keep things at bay. In my case, I never read too much of news and believe in training harder and harder to perform better,” he shares.
Indian squash player Dipika Pallikal says mental toughness is the key for any sports discipline. “It is absolutely vital for a sports star to be mentally fit, mentally strong and mentally tough. Sometimes more than physical toughness, you need mental toughness. To withstand pressures of failures and injuries is mentally very draining and one day the time will come when you can cope no more. Something just snaps within you and all the years of sweat, tears of joy and grief, are washed away and gone forever. It is a beautiful world when you keep winning, but when you keep losing, it’s a lonely world and in the battlefield within your mind, demons play havoc. Here’s when a tough mind can save you and still give you time to showcase your talent,” she opines.
Boxer Vijender Singh, who went through an acid test, feels people should be mindful of what they say. “Criticism can kill any athlete. Why should people who do not play comment on a sportsperson? They don’t know how difficult it is to go out there under pressure and perform. You can’t win medals all the time. Even the most famous Indian athlete Milkha Singh failed due to pressure and took a sabbatical in the wake of serious criticism. Sportspeople need to handle those wagging tongues. It’s an art that unfortunate Bartoli should have learnt,” says Vijender.
Tennis player Ankita Bhamri feels there can be light after a spell of darkness. “Tennis is a very exhaustive sport and the titles come by very rarely. Bartoli gave 13 years of her life to the game and performed exceptionally well. And a grand slam is a dream for anyone. When she made her dream a reality, she must have thought it is time to call it a day. What better time to do it than when you are at the peak of your career. She may have plans. Like Kimiko Date-Krumm, she may return to the game once her body is fully recovered. Age is no bar when it comes to playing,” she ends.