‘WE NEED MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT’
Don’t shame athletes who are struggling, says Indian badminton
DOUBLE Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has commended sports stars for having the courage to talk openly about their mental health struggles, saying she too has had moments were she has felt “depressed”.
“Everybody feels it. There are phases where, you know, you play matches and lose and you feel sad about it and don’t know what to do about it,” she said.
“It is ok at times to feel upset, it is ok you’re feeling depressed. I mean, few people take a step back, thinking there’s something wrong in it. But there is nothing wrong. It shows that people who are playing are not super strong.”
Former India cricket captain Virat Kohli; four-time tennis Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka of Japan; and decorated gymnast Simone Biles from the US are among the star athletes who have been candid about their struggles with mental health.
“This kind of talk (about mental health) is important. So when Simone Biles or (Naomi) Osaka or Virat (Kohli) talks about it, it is ok because that is how they feel, right? It’s something personal and also about mental health which is being ignored,” Sindhu said.
“In pursuit of success, happiness, and fame, we often think talking of mental health will be frowned upon or will slow us down. Therefore, talking about mental health is still taboo and pushes a lot of struggling people behind the curtain. It is very important for every individual to get the help they need without being shamed for it.”
Asked if she had ever reached a breaking point in her career, Sindhu said: “Everybody has a low point, where you lose and you think, ‘why did I lose?’
“But I think at the end of the day, you win some and you lose some. It’s very important to bounce back stronger.
“When I lose, maybe I’m sad but I just try to let go what has happened and focus on the next one. I go back and learn from my mistakes and I make sure I don’t repeat those mistakes again.
“But I really haven’t felt like that, luckily, because people around me, they always motivated me and kept me in the space of positivity.”
The 27-year-old is hoping to make a comeback at the seasonending World Tour Finals in December after being forced to take a long break from the international circuit due to an ankle injury.
Sindhu suffered a stress fracture on her left foot on the way to her maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham in August. “To take it (break) positively, I think this is the only time I would get a break because next year is going to be a hectic one, with tournaments lined up one after another,” Sindhu said.
“But on the negative side, I would say it’s unfortunate that I am taking a break. But it’s important because you have to take care of your body and make sure you’re completely fit and fine, you will have to maintain yourself to cope with that level of play.
“It’s important to recover soon and address it in a way that you are stronger than ever. It’s getting better and hopefully, I’ll be starting in December.”
Sindhu will miss the next two BWF World Tour Super 750 events – the Denmark Open (from next Tuesday, 18, to next Sunday, 23) and the French Open (October 25 to 30). The World Tour Finals are scheduled in Guangzhou, China, from December 14 to 18.
Asked if that was her target now, Sindhu said: “Yeah, definitely. I am not playing Denmark and Paris. But hopefully, I mean, I will be there.”