Indian badminton legend Pullela Gopichand in a new avatar - Mental Fitness trainer
Gopichand is aiming to help athletes develop mental toughness.
Mental health has been a cause of concern from the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Indian badminton legend Pullela Gopichand is doing his bit to help athletes withstand the phase and beyond by aiding their mental fortitude - not only through his physical coaching, but now also in virtual form.
Gopichand is a legend when it comes to badminton in India. Only the second Indian to win the All England Badminton Championship, back in 2001, Gopichand is now the national coach of the Indian badminton team.
He has won the Arjuna award (1999) and also the Dronacharya award (2009) for coaching and has been conferred with the Padma Bhushan – India's third highest civilian award - in 2014.
However, we are set to see the legend in a new avatar as a mental fitness trainer.
Gopichand is set to use his experience and know-how to help athletes with their mental conditioning. Gopichand, who has trained ace Olympic medal-winning players like P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, will be seen in his new avatar on the Dhyana app.
What is the Dhyana app?
'Dhyana' as the name suggests means concentration. Directed by Gopichand himself, the app contains sessions from his personal experiences. The 10 sessions can be found under 'Dhyana for Sports' section in the app.
The sessions have been named as Uniting Your Innerself, Forgive, Winner Instincts, Gratitude, Stillness, Visualization, Strengthen Discipline, Pre-Workout, Post-Workout, and End of the Day.
The tailor-made app will focus on helping athletes develop a champion mindset as they look to represent India on the international stage.
“The ability to stay positive and focus-driven is a quality that one needs to cultivate, particularly in these trying times when most of our goals for the year have been waylaid by the pandemic. We designed ‘Dhyana for Sports’ to help athletes and others alike achieve a strong emotional wellbeing, motivate them and enable them to focus on the road to excellence," Gopichand said.
"Victory doesn’t always go to the stronger or the faster person. It ultimately goes to the stronger mind, the tougher spirit. I am certain that these guided sessions will prove to be fruitful to anyone wanting to become the best version of themselves,” he added.