With sports becoming a profession, youngsters should look for opportunities: Javagal Srinath
With sports gradually turning into a profession in India, youngsters should look for career opportunities in the field, said former international cricketer Javagal Srinath.
Participating as a chief guest at the inauguration of a two-day national workshop on 'An integrated approach to athletic performance through nutrition, gut health, psychology, rehabilitation and anti-doping awareness' organized by the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at JSSAHER's School of Life Sciences in Mysuru on May 26, Mr. Srinath recalled that information on training, nutrition, psychology was not as easily available when he was a cricketer in the earlier '90s.
'People used to hide information,' he said while claiming that they did not have any information about the training programmes for sports in the United States, England, Australia.
'We did not know what type of training was given for cricketers, more specifically for bowlers, in Australia, which has a sporting culture,' he said. Training for sports in India, which did not have a sporting culture, was 'incomparable' to the training in Australia, he said.
While sportspersons like him in India were only practising on the field, besides lifting weights in the gym, their counterparts in other countries were undergoing advanced and in-depth training programmes, he said.
However, with the facilities, opportunities and infrastructure for sports presently available for sports in the country, Indians can now aim for the top.
Underscoring the importance of nutrition, Mr. Srinath said sports professionals should be able to guide aspiring sportspersons on what would go wrong if one messes up with nutrition, which is key for performance.
Mr. Srinath cited the example of leading cricketer Virat Kohli, who he said watches 'every morsel of food he consumes' and 'its calories' based on whether it would slow him down or help him do better on the field. 'We should look up to such people,' he said.
Mr. Srinath also emphasised the importance of psychology for every facet of life, including the performance of a sportsperson.
Dr. Raveesha K. A., Dean of Faculty of Life Sciences, JSSAHER, said the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics was starting MSc programme in Sports Nutrition and Management at a time when India is aiming to host Olympics. Such facilities will help create supporting ancillary facilities to ensure there is sufficient manpower to hold such events.
The two-day workshop will promote efforts to improve athletic performance of an individual through nutrition and other facets, like psychology, rehabilitation and anti-doping awareness, he said.
He pointed out that it is not enough to provide proteins and other nutrients to an individual. It is equally important to customise it to an individual's physiology and biochemistry, as everybody does not come from the same genetic background. 'People come from different genetic backgrounds, cultures, food habits,' he said.
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