PTI
Sports is generally viewed as a physical contest between two opponents. Yet, it’s very true. But at the very elite, it’s an intense battle of the mind too. The stronger one is up there in the head, better equipped are they to make those split‑second decisions in crunch moments that separate a champion from a runner‑up. And athletes have gone to various lengths to become stronger in the mind.
The Indian cricket team, led by MS Dhoni and coached by Gary Kirsten, worked with world‑renowned explorer and adventurer Mike Horn, who helped them win the coveted 2011 World Cup. Horn, a much‑sought‑after name in the world of sports, was also hired by Kolkata Knight Riders, the German national football team as well as the Indian hockey team, and all three entities attained glory which they attributed in part to their stint with Horn.
KKR won the seventh edition of IPL in 2014, the Germans lifted a fourth FIFA World Cup a few months later, and the Indian hockey team won a second successive Olympic bronze medal at the Paris Games last year — all thanks to Horn’s adventures on the wild that pushed the limits of human endurance, both physical and mental.
Superstar athletes like Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo have embraced yoga too, which has helped them stay calm and think better in the heat of the moment. Some even consult sports psychologists on a regular basis, which they believe helps them stay strong, rubbing the notion that only the weak seek such therapies. Indian cricketer KL Rahul, who has been having a fabulous run in England this Test series so far with multiple centuries in three games, including a second ton at Lord’s that put him in an elite category, too, has gone down the lane of working with mind coaches in a bid to become more consistent.
It was a statistic that hurt the most — technically sound batter who is blessed with a game for all conditions. Coming to England as the senior most specialist batter in a young Indian team, he knew he had to correct that anomaly. And he’s done that brilliantly, scoring 42, 137, 2, 55, and 100, barely losing his concentration when he was bounced in the past. These have been umpteen instances when the poise decision after being well set had cost him his wicket.