With the topic of the importance of mental health among people being discussed in every forum, sport is an area where both athletes and those who follow sport on a regular basis have come out and shared what feel amid mounting pressures and time away from their families.
However, all-time cricketing legend and 1983 World Cup captain Kapil Dev felt it was the other way around, costing him a beating on social media.
In a recent interaction with people in the media, Kapil Dev was seen talking about ‘pressure’ and ‘depression’, referring to them as American words. The video has gone viral.
“I heard many times on TV these days, there is a lot of pressure, (we) play the IPL, so there is a lot of pressure. So I only say one thing: don’t play. What is pressure? If a player has passion, no there will be pressure. I can’t understand these American woods as pressure, depression. I don’t understand this. I’m a farmer and we play to enjoy, and there can’t be any pressure in enjoying,” TOI quoted Kapil Dev at the ‘Chat with Champions’ event .
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Citing the example of school students, Kapil went further.
He said: “I went to a school once and the students said ‘there’s a lot of pressure’… (So I said) You study in air-conditioned schools, your parents pay the fees, the teachers can’t beat you up, and you feel pressure “Ask me what the pressure was about in our time. Teachers would beat us up first and then ask us where we had gone…Students need to turn this into pleasure and fun, pressure is a dirty word.”
However, earlier this year, former Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, who was struggling with his form, admitted his mental health issues. “I have personally experienced times where, even in a room full of supportive and loving people, I felt alone, and I’m sure this is a feeling many people can relate to,” Kohli said, adding : “(Mental health) is definitely a serious problem and as much as we try to be strong at all times, it can destroy you.”
Following Kapil Dev’s comments about “pressure”, social media users criticized him, referring to his comments as “disappointing”.
Here are some comments:
Although the topics of pressure, depression, and mental health have been discussed before, during and after the COVID era, the issues have become pertinent and are being widely discussed. More and more people are reaching out and sharing their experiences of coping with mental health issues. Even medical experts and psychologists have also expressed their concerns.
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