Noted sports psychologist Bhishmaraj Bam yesterday said that the pressure to perform in international sport is so high that even the slightest adversity could drive a player to take an extreme step, as in the case of India No 3 doubles shuttler Prajakta Sawant, who has decided against playing for India citing selection bias
Sports psychologist Dr BP Bam
Noted sports psychologist Bhishmaraj Bam yesterday said that the pressure to perform in international sport is so high that even the slightest adversity could drive a player to take an extreme step, as in the case of India No 3 doubles shuttler Prajakta Sawant, who has decided against playing for India citing selection bias.
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Sports psychologist Dr BP Bam
"The level of international competition in sport nowadays is very high. Add to this the disappointment of not being picked despite being talented, and a player is bound to have a persecution complex. Then there is the stress of going through a court battle where the family also gets involved. A player tends to feel unwanted," Bam told mid-day yesterday.
The Badminton Association of India claims that the players picked for the national team for the Uber Cup have performed better than Prajakta recently. Bam says the unwarranted off-court stress may have taken its toll on Prajakta's performance.
"There are two things a player possesses — caliber and form. While caliber remains consistent, form is elusive. And when a player feels discriminated against (like in Prajakta's case), it affects the player's mind and that could have a direct impact on the player's form," he added.
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