Olympics-Badminton-'A strong mind': India's Sindhu, Japan's Okuhara look inwards to keep mentally fit

[ASFN Admin]

Athletes at the Tokyo Games are chasing Olympic glory in tremendously strained conditions that have kept them isolated from family, friends and, importantly, spectators as they battle for what could be the biggest titles of their careers. In badminton, players are resorting to yelling, meditation, or laser-like focus whatever it takes to help them cope with the stress of expectation and no fans to fire them up. While the top names in badminton haven't openly discussed mental health and wellbeing issues in the way that gymnast Simone Biles https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/s...-tokyo-covid-cases-hang-over-games-2021-07-28 and tennis player Naomi Osaka https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/tennis-japans-osaka-out-tokyo-2020-third-round-2021-07-27 have done of late, Olympic expectations nonetheless weigh heavily on some.

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