Evolution Of Sports Psychology In India
Sports psychology is an important field, which finds the mental and emotional aspect of performance in athletics. The importance of sports psychology has only been acknowledged by the world at large over the last few years; consequently, sports psychology in India is also now taking shape. As Indian athletes smash the barriers of international competitions, the need to understand mental training is bound to become increasingly vital. Athlete Psychology And Their Performance Sports psychology aids an athlete in building mental strength required to perform under pressure, resist stress and maintain focus at crucial moments. It is well known how cricket, badminton, or wrestling dominate sports activities in India; thus, athlete psychology promotes the facets that bring about continuous performance. It could be the negotiation of performance anxiety, self-doubt, or making and attaining goals-with sports psychology, an athlete is armed not only for psychological success but also for physical victory. Impact Of Sports Science On Indian Athletes The advancement of sports science in India has also enhanced the combination of sports psychology into athletic training programs. Apart from physical and traditional training, sports science in India equally emphasizes mental toughness and psychological preparation. As there is a growth in developments in sports science, there is better research and techniques whereby an athlete can further enhance his mental performance alongside developing his physical strengths and mentality. Why Athlete Psychology Matters? Athlete psychology is a discipline as important as strength in the sport. Mental preparation through sports psychology helps athletes overcome setbacks, recover from injuries sooner and excel steadily. Whether it is an individual sport or a team sport, principles in sports psychology help an athlete face the challenges of competition. The Future Of Sports Psychology In India In short, it is a must to integrate sports psychology into training for better-rounded athletes who can function excellently under pressure. As the field of sports psychology continues to grow, sports psychology in India will play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of Indian sports. Indian athletes will also be more conditioned for engagement on the world stage with a combination of physical and mental conditioning. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
India’s First Female Olympic Gymnast, Dipa Karmakar Bids Adieu To Sport.
Dipa Karmakar, the first female gymnast from India to compete in the Olympics, has announced her retirement from the sport at the age of 31. She made the announcement on social media platform X. Dipa Karmakar’s Achievements International fame came to Dipa Karmakar’s way after she had a four-place finish in vault at the Rio Olympics 2016 and was just 0.15 points away from a medal. Challenges that emerged included doping suspension, apart from multi-injuries and milestones crossed in the career included becoming the first Indian to win the gold at Asian Championships in Tashkent in May. Dipa’s Departure Dipa Karmakar had to leave gymnastics eventually; she thought a lot about this and, with much effort, decided that it would be a difficult yet good time to leave. Karmakar thanked every experience-high and low points throughout 25 years of her career. Dipa Showed Gratitude Dipa thanked her family and coaches, Bishweshwar Nandi and Soma Nandi, who stood with her throughout her journey. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
India’s Best Finish At The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup So Far
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 has begun in the UAE and the Indian Women’s Cricket Team is determined to have their hands on the title. Building on their best finish in 2020, where the women in blue reached the final, India’s women are poised to make a stronger push for the title this time. India’s T20 WC 2020 Campaign India’s 2020 campaign saw them dominate the group stages with wins against Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, topping Group A. Their semi-final against England was washed out and India advanced to the final based on a superior group-stage record. Unfortunately, India suffered a heavy 85-run defeat at the hands of Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. New Stars Were Born Key contributors to India’s 2020 campaign were Poonam Yadav, who took 10 wickets and teenage sensation, Shafali Verma, who scored 171 runs at just 16 years of age. Both players will play crucial roles again at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Poonam was named in the ICC T20 World Cup Team Of The TournamentI, and Shafali’s explosive batting earned her the recognition she deserved. Skipper Stands Tall Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s skipper in 2020, returns to lead a squad featuring nine players from the previous tournament, bringing experience and hunger to their 2024 campaign. The blend of seasoned stars and young talent makes India a formidable force. Strong Competition In 2024 With fierce competition from powerhouses like Australia, England and South Africa, India will need to channel their 2020 heartbreak to fuel their ambition. Fans’ expectations are sky-high and India will be under pressure to finally deliver the long-awaited ICC title. Will 2024 be the year India’s women make history? Stay tuned and support the team as they aim for glory! The Sportz Planet Desk,Nitya Sutrave
BAI Announces Cash Rewards for Para Shuttlers
Indian para shuttlers have been announced cash rewards by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) as a token of appreciation over their triumph at Paris Paralympics 2024. India has won five medals in badminton. This has been its best-ever show in the Paralympics till date. For the first time, Indian women stood on the Paralympic badminton podium. Medal Winners Shine in Paris Nitesh Kumar set the tone of success by bagging a gold in the Men’s Singles SL3. Suhas Yathiraj similarly repeated his Tokyo success to win a silver in the Men’s Singles SL4 category. Indian women shuttlers won medals in the Paralympics for the first time. Thulasimathi Murugesan won silver in the Women’s Singles SU5 category, while Manisha Ramadass came in with a bronze in the same category. In the SH6 category, Nithya Sre Sivan completed the tally with a bronze. Cash Awards for Outstanding Performances State Sports Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also heads the BAI as Chief Minister of Assam, announced a total cash prize of INR 50 lakh for medal winners. Nitesh Kumar bagged INR 15 lakh for gold medal. Suhas and Thulasimathi will get INR 10 lakh each as they won the silver medal. Manisha and Nithya will receive INR 7.5 lakh each for bronze medallist. The BAI assures commitment to the development of Para Badminton Secretary General Sanjay Mishra of BAI mentioned consistent performances from India’s para-badminton players at international arena. According to him, cash prizes were one of the ways BAI would pay a tribute to all such efforts by these players into India’s Paralympic success story. Mishra also said that BAI continued to work in the directions that are responsible for the growth of para-badminton, which included many means of support to the players. He added that a virtual meeting with them will be conducted in order to thank them and get to know the further support and action required for their development in the future. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
India Wins Bronze In First Asia Pacific Padel Cup
India’s first-ever International Padel Team made great times at the very first Asia Pacific Padel Cup, finishing third. The tournament took place in Bali, Indonesia, from September 19, 2024 to September 22, 2024. India blanked Malaysia 3-0 in the bronze medal playoffs . The Indian team finished behind champions Philippines and runners-up Indonesia in a very competitive six-nation event. The other teams competing were China, Malaysia and Singapore. Preparation and Leadership Under the inspirational guidance of coach Imran Yusoof and manager Rithik Sinha, the Indian team has completed stringent four-day training at JSW Inspire Institute in Vijayanagar under Spanish head coach Victor Perez and has now entered history by securing India’s place on the international padel scene. The Bronze Medal Playoff It was Aryan Goveas and Rahul Motwani who set the tone for the rest of the matches as they gave a nail-biting victory at 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the very first match of the bronze playoff. Tulsi Mehta and Vaibhavi Deshmukh then sent out a strong signal riding to a 6-2, 7-6 (1) victory while Jenai Billimoria and Johan Fernandes did not have to break a sweat as they rode to a comprehensive 6-0, 6-1 victory while clinching the outcome of the tie at 3-0. Support From The Sponsors The team was given great support by sponsors including PadelPark India, JSW Inspire Institute, Godrej Properties, Akbar Travels, Akbar Holidays, Babolat, and Dream Set Go, marking India’s impressive debut on the international padel map. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Checkmate! India Strikes Gold Twice at Chess Olympiad 2024
India won its maiden Chess Olympiad gold medals in both the open and women’s sections at the SYMA Sports and Conference Centre in Budapest, Hungary, in a landmark day for Indian chess. The dominance of the Indian contingent was again registered as it won 10 out of 11 rounds in the open section and 9 out of 11 rounds in the women’s competition. Gukesh Wins with Outstanding Success The charge was led by World Championship challenger D. Gukesh, who took individual gold on top board after 9/10. His rating performance of 3056 alone stood above all those played in the tournament, crossing the 3000+ mark-a patently obvious signal for great things in the chess world. Erigaisi and Deshmukh Claim Individual Golds Arjun Erigaisi was not far behind, winning individual gold on board three with 10 points in 11 games. Both grandmasters have moved closer to the elite 2800 FIDE rating threshold. In the women’s section, Divya Deshmukh from Jamnagar turned out as the biggest shock package at 18 as she produced an individual gold on board three, scoring 9.5 points and getting the winning end in the final round. India’s great output was completed by Vantika Agrawal who is an individual gold medalist on board four. India Defends the Gaprindashvili Trophy Besides the twin golds, India retained the prestigious Gaprindashvili Trophy for the best all-round performance in both sections. This consolidation places India among the powerhouse countries in chess at the global level. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024: A Team-by-Team Preview
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 is all set to get underway from the 3rd to the 20th of October, 2024 at Sharjah and Dubai. Ten teams would be rubbing their shoulders against each other to have their hands on that elusive title at the Dubai International Stadium on 20th October, 2024. Let’s quickly go through the 10 participating teams in this edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. India India had to face a setback in the 2023 semi-final in an incredible game against Australia at Cape Town. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 is where they will look to repeat that for a second final appearance and possibly a first title win. Australia Four times in a row, Australia come in as the tournament favorites, after dominating the competition in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, which they won for the sixth time in South Africa. The Australians have never lost since 2020 and are expected to try to maintain the grip on the trophy. England Traditionally a strong team, England made its debut as champions in 2009 and will expect an easy comeback from the loss in the semi-finals of last year. England has made it to the final thrice since winning their first title. Hence, they are again one of the favorites to win. South Africa South Africa, the runners-up of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023, are going to try that little extra inch further this time round since they managed history to make it to the very first final of their lives. They have all it takes to go deep again, and a rightful push to attain their first ICC Women’s T20 World Cup trophy. New Zealand New Zealand have been the runners-up in 2009 and 2010. The Kiwis do have a good account of World Cup performances, and they would be looking to get it to the final this time around. Qualification increased following their crushing victories against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the fag end of last year. West Indies West Indies, champions in 2016, qualified solely based on their group play in South Africa. The Caribbean team will look to reignite the good old days with another title victory. Sri Lanka Sri Lanka qualified by winning the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 Qualifier. Having done quite well in 2023, where they opened with a win over South Africa, they will look forward to delivering when it matters the most this time around. Scotland The only first-time team participating in this event is Scotland, which gained qualification through the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier. This is actually the first taste of action on the world stage for the team. Pakistan Pakistan had qualified as the highest-ranked side, not including those that had otherwise already qualified for the event. As first-timers to the semis, they will look to make it big in the 2024 edition. Bangladesh Bangladesh, who had qualified as hosts before the competition was switched to the UAE, start against Scotland at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. It is Bangladesh’s sixth visit to the tournament; however, they have failed to go beyond the group stage so far. With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 round the corner, teams are in full preparations to make their presence felt in the tournament. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
How Jalandhar And Meerut Are Driving India’s Sports Gear Revolution
India’s sports goods industry is not only old but also practically antique with almost a century of swinging, kicking and scoring its way into the global market. This workforce is as skilled as its size: the sector isn’t just playing around, it drives the economy and provides employment to an impressive 5 million people. From snazzy sportswear to those must-have outdoor games, India has more than 300 types of gear, all crafted with a passion that’s as infectious as a victory dance. Where is the magic happening? The answer is Jalandhar and Meerut, India’s very own sports gear manufacturing cities. These cities currently are churning out a whopping 75-80% of the country’s gear. As such, Jalandhar and Meerut have more than 3,000 manufacturing units and 130 exporters, making them the real MVPs, chalking up some 82% in total production. Local Legends to Global Giants The Indian sports equipment market is on its highest spurt to jump from US$ 3.9 billion in 2020-21 to an astonishing US$ 6.6 billion by 2027. Because of a global craze for Asia-Pacific manufacturing, India flexes its muscles on the world stage. In 2022, India flexed its exporting prowess ranking as 22nd largest exporter of sports equipment with exports worth US$ 198 million. So, whether you are gearing up to play or just cheering from the side, remember, India’s sports goods industry is scoring big and is only getting better from here. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Indian Super League: Football’s Newest Bollywood Blockbuster
In 2014, the Indian Super League (ISL) made its debut. It’s like watching an underdog story unfold, however with more footballs and less melodrama. What started as a fledgling league has now transformed into a financial juggernaut, making the football scene in India as irresistible as a box-office hit. A Star-Studded Cast Imagine Alessandro Del Piero and Robert Pires strolling onto the field like the most glamorous cameos in a blockbuster. These legends didn’t just bring their skills; they brought the football world’s attention, turning the ISL into the hottest ticket in town. Add in some major Indian business moguls, like the JSW Group, owning Bengaluru FC and you’ve got a winning combination that even the most skeptical critics can’t ignore. Nurturing Future Stars The ISL isn’t just about glitz and glamour, it’s got heart too. Think of clubs like Bengaluru FC as the nurturing mentors in our sports drama, scouting and developing local talent who are destined for stardom. It’s like discovering the next big actor in a small-town audition and then watching them shine on the international stage. Let’s also not forget Kerala Blasters FC’s social media antics—they’re the energetic sidekick, keeping fans entertained and engaged. The Money Moves In the world of football, broadcasting deals and sponsorships are the VIP passes and the ISL has been winning these passes with style. With Star India initially backing the league and Viacom18 snatching up media rights for a whopping 550 crore over two years in 2023, the ISL is proving it’s not just a football league—it’s a financial blockbuster. Playing Through the Pandemic Plot Twist When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the ISL wasn’t about to let its story end on a cliffhanger. Instead, it pivoted like a pro, setting up matches in a bio-secure bubble in Goa. This not only kept the league alive but also earned it accolades from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), boosting its global reputation. Curtain Call So, there you have it. The ISL’s journey from a hopeful debut in 2014 to a flourishing business spectacle in 2024. It’s a reminder that with the right mix of talent, investment and a bit of flair, Indian football isn’t just playing the game—it’s rewriting the script. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Calls on Retired Sportspersons to Apply for RESET programme
Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, has called upon retired sportspersons across India to apply for the newly launched “Retired Sportsperson Empowerment Training” (RESET) Programme and actively contribute to the country’s sports ecosystem. The initiative was launched by Dr. Mandaviya today on the occasion of National Sports Day. Highlighting the government’s commitment, Dr. Mandaviya said, “The RESET Programme is an important step towards recognising and empowering our retired athletes who have made the nation proud with their achievements. We urge all retired sportspersons to take advantage of this opportunity to develop new skills, remain engaged in the sports community, and continue contributing to the nation’s sports legacy.” The RESET Programme, designed to support retired athletes in their career development, aims to bridge the gap between generations, allowing the skills and experience of retired athletes to benefit young aspiring sports talents. Dr. Mandaviya reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fully supporting retired athletes, urging them to make use of the program by applying through the specially designated portal. Open to retired athletes aged 20-50 years who have won international medals, participated in international events, or achieved recognition at the national or state level, the RESET Programme will be implemented in collaboration with the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE). It will include self-paced online learning, on-ground training, and internships, with placement assistance and entrepreneurial guidance provided upon successful completion. Applications for the RESET Programme are open on the portal https://lnipe.edu.in/resetprogram/, and the course will begin after due evaluation. The initiative aims to harness the invaluable experience of retired athletes, nurturing future champions and contributing to the growth of sports in India. For more information: CLICK HERE.