<p>Fear in sports is an inevitable factor. Often, battles are lost even before they begin. Some master the art of staying calm while some wilt under pressure.</p>.<p>Satvik Shankar’s biggest problem when he started out in badminton was his lack of confidence.</p>.<p>“I used to get scared of my opponents. That’s the reason why I lost a lot of matches when I began playing badminton,” he says.</p>.<p>It’s not easy to deal with a disappointed child. Priya, Satvik’s mother, would agree to this.</p>.<p>“He wasn’t able to break the mental block. It was very tough for us initially. I wondered if it’s worth fighting this battle. I was worried if he (Satvik) would ever find a solution to this problem,” Priya recollected. </p>.<p>His association with coach Krishna Kumar of I Sports academy was a welcome move for Satvik. </p>.<p>“At I Sports, I played against seniors and coaches. My game changed for the better and more importantly, I gained mental strength. I began to feel relaxed,” the 12-year-old shuttler said. </p>.<p>Fear, finally, had stopped hindering Satvik’s progress. He clinched a string of singles and doubles state-ranking titles and his U-13 State singles and doubles titles last year was a proof of this change. A day after the finals, he had to conquer another fight -- examinations.</p>.<p>“I didn’t get much time to practice because I had to study for my tests. But I had constant chats with my coaches and that kept me focused.</p>.<p>“I was obviously a bit nervous. But I badly wanted to win this tournament and I gave my all,” said Satvik, a seventh-grade student of Navkis Educational Centre.</p>.<p>With his consistent success, Satvik has also turned a mature player as he thanks his doubles partner Tushar, with whom he has won two U-13 All-India and national championship gold medals. “He is a very good player. We share a healthy rivalry. We have played many finals and I have lost to him many times.</p>.<p>“These matches have helped me grow as a player,” said Satvik, who thanked father Premjit Shankar and his first coach Mohan for their support.</p>.<p>“We first asked him to take it one tournament at a time,” said Krishna Kumar. “When he joined our academy, he was not in good shape.</p>.<p>“We worked on his fitness, mainly strength. He has now grown into a really good rally player,” he said.</p>
<p>Fear in sports is an inevitable factor. Often, battles are lost even before they begin. Some master the art of staying calm while some wilt under pressure.</p>.<p>Satvik Shankar’s biggest problem when he started out in badminton was his lack of confidence.</p>.<p>“I used to get scared of my opponents. That’s the reason why I lost a lot of matches when I began playing badminton,” he says.</p>.<p>It’s not easy to deal with a disappointed child. Priya, Satvik’s mother, would agree to this.</p>.<p>“He wasn’t able to break the mental block. It was very tough for us initially. I wondered if it’s worth fighting this battle. I was worried if he (Satvik) would ever find a solution to this problem,” Priya recollected. </p>.<p>His association with coach Krishna Kumar of I Sports academy was a welcome move for Satvik. </p>.<p>“At I Sports, I played against seniors and coaches. My game changed for the better and more importantly, I gained mental strength. I began to feel relaxed,” the 12-year-old shuttler said. </p>.<p>Fear, finally, had stopped hindering Satvik’s progress. He clinched a string of singles and doubles state-ranking titles and his U-13 State singles and doubles titles last year was a proof of this change. A day after the finals, he had to conquer another fight -- examinations.</p>.<p>“I didn’t get much time to practice because I had to study for my tests. But I had constant chats with my coaches and that kept me focused.</p>.<p>“I was obviously a bit nervous. But I badly wanted to win this tournament and I gave my all,” said Satvik, a seventh-grade student of Navkis Educational Centre.</p>.<p>With his consistent success, Satvik has also turned a mature player as he thanks his doubles partner Tushar, with whom he has won two U-13 All-India and national championship gold medals. “He is a very good player. We share a healthy rivalry. We have played many finals and I have lost to him many times.</p>.<p>“These matches have helped me grow as a player,” said Satvik, who thanked father Premjit Shankar and his first coach Mohan for their support.</p>.<p>“We first asked him to take it one tournament at a time,” said Krishna Kumar. “When he joined our academy, he was not in good shape.</p>.<p>“We worked on his fitness, mainly strength. He has now grown into a really good rally player,” he said.</p>
