"It Has A Direct Influence": Abhinav Bindra On Athletes' Mental Health, Calls It 'Work In Progress'

Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra on Friday acknowledged training Indian athletes across sports on the aspect of mental health remains a "work in progress", while adding that benefits of the same must reach grassroots level. Bindra said mental health directly influences overall well-being of an athlete and sports administrators also share equal responsibility in it. "It's an area where there is work in progress — we all acknowledge that. We are a sporting ecosystem which is developing. It is slowly maturing," he said during a virtual interaction organised by Mpower to launch AMP: A Sports Psychology Division to Elevate Athlete Performance.

"This is an aspect that not just from a shooting athlete's point of view, but across the board, which needs to be prioritised. It is something which has a direct influence on the performance of the athlete.

"It has a direct influence on the well-being of an athlete. Sports organisations and everybody involved in governance has to also ensure that our athletes perform well, but their well-being is of equal importance," he added.

Bindra highlighted the presence of a mental health expert with the Indian contingent in Paris Olympics as a step in the right direction.

"We've seen progress made even during the Olympics in Paris. It was the first time there was a mental health expert who was with the team. There (also) was somebody for sleep," he said.

"There are things that are happening. But we need to keep working with intensity to make sure that this perpetuates down to the grassroot level," he added.

Bindra rejected the notion that athletes today are "softer" than those in the past.

"I completely disagree. If that is the notion to be believed, then the softer ones are winning more