Motivate Athletes To Play Well, Don't Pressure Them For Paralympic Medals: Devendra Jhajharia

The six Indian fourth-place finishes at Paris Olympics evoked heartburn, but also sparked conversations around mental strength or the lack thereof. How can Indian athletes overcome the massive pressure of the world's biggest stage? Is it possible to bear the medal burden lightly? (More Sports News)

It is, if you focus on playing well rather than the result, according to Devendra Jhajharia. The Paralympic double gold medallist believes that the families of Paris-bound para athletes should not fixate on medals, while motivating their wards ahead of the upcoming Paralympic Games.

"Aap khiladiyon ko bolo ki unko accha khel ke aana hai. Yeh nahin kahein ki medal jeet ke aana hai. Aisa pressure na banayein (Please tell athletes that they must play well; don't say that 'you must win a medal'. Don't create such pressure)," Jhajharia, now the Paralympic Committee of India president, shares with Outlook.

If the athletes are committed to that motto, "the medals will come automatically", adds Jhajharia. The 43-year-old says he went by the same philosophy when he broke the para javelin throw F46 world record in Tokyo, three years back. Now helming the administrative side of things, the man from Churu, Rajasthan is clear that mental fitness must go hand-in-hand with physical fitness for elite athletes.

He states matter-of-factly: "If an athlete is not in the best frame of mind after a not-so-good performance, I tell them that a below-par show in one competition is not the end of the world. You always have the next tournament to make amends."

With that in mind, the PCI president expresses full confidence in the 84-strong contingent that will represent the nation in Paris. Without naming any particular athletes, he pins his hopes on the athletics and table tennis squads.

"Ek se badkar ek khilaadi hai humaare paas (We have several world-class athletes, one better than another). We have high hopes from athletics, where we finished fifth in the world championships. It is our strength, and so is table tennis. We also have a good standing in shooting, badminton and archery."

Jhajharia has gone on record to state that India is targeting at least 25 medals from the 2024 Paralympics, and he has his reasons for it. "People think it is a tall order, but my statement is based on our athletes' preparation over the last three-four years. We expect to finish among the top 20 countries in the medal tally."

He mentions giving athletes picked for the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) the "freedom to train anywhere", providing personal physios and also psychologists in some cases as part of the rigorous preparation.

While India readies to launch its quest of an unprecedented medal haul in Paris, one marquee player who will be missing in action is Tokyo gold medallist Pramod Bhagat, who has been handed an 18-month ban after being found in breach of the Badminton World Federation's anti-doping regulations.

The star para shuttler has termed the decision "unfair" and cited a technical issue as the cause for his three whereabouts failures in 12 months. Jhajharia has this to say on the matter: "Pramod Bhagat is a legend of the sport. He is not a member of the Paris 2024 contingent, but he is our athlete and we will see what can be done to help him."