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Wider use of sports psychology urged

The International Society of Sports Pyschologists, holding its first ever workshop in India, has called for wider, direct application of sports psychology in the Indian arena.

Speaking on the inaugural day of a two-day seminar in Bangalore, ISSP president Gershon Tenebaum of Australia made a case for passing on, to sportsmen, coaches and administrators, the benefit of huge advances that have been achieved in the field of psychology.

The seminar was inaugurated by K R Sridhar Murthy, scientific secretary of the Indian Space Research Organisation. In his speech, Murthy pointed out that psychology was essentially helpful in building strength of mind -- a quality very essential for sportspersons wishing to compete in the highly stressed international arena.

The seminar has attracted 100 participants from around the country, and includes workships and lectures on various aspects of sports psychology. Thus, Tenebaum's presentation had to do with 'Decision making in sports'.

Among other leading speakers on day one, Atushi Fujita of Japan spoke of head-eye coordination as a reflector of inherent sports skill, while Howard Hall of England dealth with the transactional approach to understanding competitive anxiety.

Obviously the most crucial speech of day one was from Christine le Scanf of France, who touched on stress management for sportspersons.

The seminar follows on the heels of the first ever meeting being held in India of the ISSP managing council.