HEADSTRONG, GAME-STRONG!

Accomplished, resolute, and wise beyond his years - that is badminton champ HS Prannoy for you. He speaks to CE about his journey, travails, and more

- SHREYA VERONICA

BEING a successful sportsperson on a national or international stage may bring fame, wealth, and the pride of representing your country but with it comes the stresses of a highly competitive environment, the stress of being in the public eye and the burden of fulfilling an entire nation's sporting dreams. Mental performance coaches like Bengaluru-based Mon Brokman, are becoming popular choices among sportspersons who want to prioritize mental fitness apart from just physical fitness. "Most people think with more years of experience, things are becoming easier.

But as you become more successful, the external challenges also grow, and players have to learn through maturity, experience, and mental training how to deal with it," says Brokman.

Brokman has worked with badminton player HS Prannoy, Indian Premiere League's Rajasthan Royals, English cricketer Jos Buttler, golfers Anirban Lahiri and Shubhankar Sharma over his eight-year stint in Bengaluru. Having worked with Prannoy for the last five years, Brokman shares, "Prannoy's USP is that he is always motivated. We never needed to motivate him, even in his worst season and in his worst time, through a chain of injuries. It is something that he always had and that really inspired me."

In an interview with Prannoy, he mentioned to CE about the mental toughness needed to be a sportsman, the toll it takes in the long run, and how he keeps himself motivated. Brokman continues, "What we needed to do was take his motivation and channel it to the correct practices and training so the motivation is being used to grow and appreciate the small wins."