World Mental Health Day: Arjun Babuta, Other Top Indian Shooters Focused On Keeping Stress Away

As Indian shooters prepare for the upcoming International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup final in pistol, rifle and shotgun categories in New Delhi from October 13-18, mental health and its importance in big events has become a topic of discussion. 

On World Mental Health Day on Thursday, the 25-year-old Babuta, who finished an agonising fourth in the men’s 10m air rifle final at Paris 2024, told SAI Media: "Paris told me that I am capable of performing under pressure and I am capable of delivering results. 

"It also boosted my confidence because the way I planned everything, it worked for me. Some things didn’t click as I couldn’t accomplish what I had set out to in Paris, but there are a lot of takeaways that I can use in the future.”

International Olympic Committee mental health ambassador and 2008 Beijing Olympics champion Abhinav Bindra has highlighted why the well-being of the mind is key to success. 

Bindra has been quoted as saying: "I would like to tell every athlete to ensure that their well-being as a human is at the heart of their performance. Tuning in to your own mental health and well-being is essential. 

"And, of course, if any athlete is struggling, I would encourage them to seek help. There is absolutely no shame, and it is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of great strength to seek help to get better."

Shooting is increasingly getting dominated by young shooters. Although the Paris Olympics has seen veteran shooters like American Vincent Hancock (men's skeet) and Turkey's Yusuf Dikec (10m air pistol) calling the shots, Indian pistol shooters like Anish Bhanwala and Vijayveer Sidhu, in their early 20s, are grabbing a lot of attention.

“We have to deal with a lot of stress to manage competitions, preparation and results. I reduce stress by lowering my expectations and try to focus on how I train and shoot. That keeps me in the present. 

"I did a course with Art of Living that taught me meditation and breathing exercises. It helped me in minimising stress and keeping myself happy," said Bhanwala to SAI Media at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, where the Indian shooters are training for the upcoming World Cup.

Bhanwala's 25m rapid fire pistol teammates at paris, Sidhu stressed that "having a good mental health was key to a good life and delivering peak performance."

Manu Bhaker, who won two historic bronze medals at Paris Olympics, has spoken about how reciting the Bhagavad Gita keeps her focused on the 'karma' and not the 'outcome.'