‘All athletes focus on physical fitness, but mental toughness is important too’

Ronnie Drsquosouza Sports enthusiastHow difficult was it to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics given the COVID19 lockdownPractice was most important We were training continuously throughout the lockdown We did not go home and stayed at the Chhatrasal stadium in Delhi Around 1520 youngsters were given permission to train with us Our thinking was that if the Games happen then we shall do our best and if they donrsquot then the training will help us in whatever next tournaments come up So the aim was to do well and give our best wherever we participate Throughout the pandemic though it was tough we continued our training along with a bunch of 1520 boys adhering to all the health and safety protocolsWrestling being a contact sport were you nervous at any time in Tokyo fearing that if you get COVID19 your Olympic campaign could be overItrsquos normal to be nervous about such things There are many times when you get weird thoughts like what if the Olympics donrsquot happen And even if they were to happen there were so many questions that would arise in my mind I would speak to friends and everyone would advise us that we should do what is in our control and not overthink aspects that are not in our control People around me kept saying lsquogive your best and leave the rest to Godrsquo We athletes would constantly talk to each other and motivate one anotherWhat did Prime Minister Narendra Modi tell you at the felicitation ceremony in the capitalModiji was very motivating He told me lsquowhen you won a medal you were not happy but you should not be disappointed because the nation is proud of your achievementrsquo He told me to be happy work hard to win the gold and then we will celebrate togetherAmit Gadkari Sports enthusiastTennis champ Novak Djokovic has said that at the international level itrsquos 99 per cent about the mental aspect Your physical training was good but what was your mental training likeIrsquom also a huge fan of Djokovic Irsquove seen many of his videos and have read a lot about him Hersquos a great player and what he says is right The mental aspect is most important for any player Physically everyone tries their best to be fit and train hard but if you are mentally strong you can achieve a lot not just in sport but in any sphere of life So mental training is very important Initially I would always talk to my parents to keep myself motivated But since the last twothree years Irsquove started consulting a motivational speaker and he told me that I need to constantly keep learning He said that this learning could come from anywhere or anyone He also keeps telling me that I should be positive all the time Itrsquos not that I win all my matches There are times when I lose too and thatrsquos when I ensure I keep myself in a positive frame of mind and keep learning from whatever mistakes Irsquove made So being mentally strong is important as it helps you adjust accordingly in different situationsWatch the full midday Meet Your Icon video with Ravi Dahiya belowYoursquove come back from Tokyo and have been attending a plethora of felicitation ceremonies How tough is it to adjust your training around these functionsEarlier I was not prepared for so many felicitation functions but now Irsquom getting used to them Sometimes you cannot say no Even today I attended an event then dozed off and got up late for another event So itrsquos very difficult But itrsquos good to see people cheering for the Olympics and showering so much love on usPraduman Yadav U18 wrestlerCould you tell us about your dietWith time everything changes and itrsquos the same in the case of my diet When therersquos a tournament and I have to fight in a certain weight category my fat consumption is zero Else itrsquos homemade milk curds and butter for me Irsquove been training in Delhi since 2007 and my father has been bringing these things to me Around 15 days before a tournament I avoidall sweetsDo you watch movies Who is your favourite actor and whatrsquos your favourite filmI have very little spare time and I see very few movies For almost two years I have not seen a single movie I have also stayed away from social media All I would see and do is bouts bouts and bouts So it was mostly stuff related to my sport Irsquom not keen on movies I have nothing against anyone or any actor If therersquos a good film then I will watch it on my phone but thatrsquos very rare Irsquom just not a movie buff thatrsquos allOmprakash Pande U17 wrestlerHow comfortable are you in front of the camera given you will have a lot of commercial endorsements and shoots nowI have always been a very shy and nervous individual Initially I found it very difficult to be in front of the camera but slowly I got used to it Earlier I would fear that I may say something wrong but now things are better I have learnt to adapt and now Irsquom quite normal in front of the cameraWhat is your next major tournamentMy training has already begun for the next phase of tournaments I had gone home for a day in between but now Irsquom back at the training centre Irsquom always at the centre practising continuously I ensure that I complete all my daily training before attending any event or felicitattion function I adjust all my commercial commitments around my practice Itrsquos always training forst The main tournaments that I have shortlisted are in 2022 I will be participating in a few other tournaments too but my main focus will be on next yearrsquos Asian Games September 10 to 25 in Hangzhou China and the Commonwealth Games July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham UKAlso Read Ravi Kumar Dahiya My goal is a gold medal at Paris Olympics 2024