Category: General

08 Aug 2024 11:50

Joined:	18/10/2008
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Points:	260858

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What drives sportspersons to take extreme measures to meet qualifying standards?

We are all sympathetic towards Vinesh Phogat on the incident that unfolded at the weightlifting event of the current Olympics, where she got disqualified for the final bout due to not meeting the weight standards. Having discussed that in detail in this thread, let us move to a discussion on the extreme measures that sportspersons across various disciplines take to ensure they meet the qualifying standards required for an international event and not just the Olympics.

I was really shocked to read how the support team of Vinesh and she herself went about trying to keep her weight down. Not eating or drinking water?! Drawing blood?!!! Surely this is completely bizarre and way too much. There are other events, such as boxing and weightlifting, where the weight matters. Then there are cases where athletes ignore serious injuries to participate, not caring about the pain or the fact that it may create life-long permanent damage.

What is this obsession? Is it really necessary to got to extreme lengths?

#781529

08 Aug 2024 14:32

Joined:	31/10/2012
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Points:	4015

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Sports like boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, etc are played under different categories. Athletes in these sports have a dual responsibility of gaining strength as well as maintaining weight according to their category. If an athlete doesn't meet the weight standard on the day of the competition, he/she will be disqualified. It is not an obsession but a common routine to avoid disqualification.

Weight gain is a common problem among athletes because they have food and fluids to build strength for the upcoming bout. Every body is different and weight gain is natural whenever we eat some food. In my opinion we can't blame the athletes because rules need to be followed. Athletes spend many years preparing themselves for the big tournament and they can't just give it away by being overweight.

Humble yourself or life will do it for you!

#781534

08 Aug 2024 16:03

Joined:	02/06/2009
Level:	Diamond
Points:	145329

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Any sportsperson should be physically fit to fare well in their performance. They should have the required strength to deliver and at the same time, they should keep their weight in control. So it is not an easy task for them. They should plan their diet accordingly and their physical exercises should also be planned as deemed fit. When something this sort happens many people give their opinions as they like. But the heat is known to the person who is sitting on the flame.
Each sportsperson will have his/her support staff. A coach will also be there. They will take care of all these issues. But at the same time, the activity should not cause any permanent health problems to the individual. One should have a long-term plan and one should maintain sufficient margins so that in any case they will not go out of range.

drrao
always confident

#781536

08 Aug 2024 17:16

Joined:	30/11/2015
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Points:	1437

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Athletes in boxing and wrestling usually try to participate in weight category, which is below their weight because it gives them a chance to play against weaker athletes. Vinesh's original weight category was 53kg that was taken away by Antim Panghal during the trials. Vinesh now tried her hand in 50kg category by reducing her weight and defeating Shivani Pawar in the trial to snatch her place in the Olympics. In the end it was nothing because she wasn't able to maintain that weight for the final.

It is because of rules that says equal weight athletes can only fight against each other in sports like wrestling and boxing. If any one opponent has weight over that limit, they will not be allowed to play because rules don't allow. It is not just sports anymore, it is a career for these athletes. They can't risk it by being overweight that's why they go for extreme limits to get the weight according to rules.

Thanks and regards.

#781537

08 Aug 2024 18:58

Joined:	13/06/2009
Level:	Gold
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The drive to achieve peak performance in sports is a complex interplay of psychological, physiological, and societal factors. Athletes who push themselves to extreme limits are often motivated by a combination of the following:

Psychological Factors

Intrinsic Motivation: A deep-seated passion for their sport and a desire to excel for personal satisfaction.
Goal Orientation: Setting ambitious goals and the relentless pursuit of them.
Fear of Failure: The dread of falling short of expectations, both self-imposed and external.
Competitive Drive: A strong desire to win and outperform others.
Perfectionism: The relentless pursuit of flawlessness.

Don't stand in someone else's shadow when it's your sunlight that should lead the way

#781558

08 Aug 2024 21:35

Joined:	10/12/2016
Level:	Diamond
Points:	109183

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When people are competing in a competition then there is a desire to perform the best. It is true everywhere in all sorts of competitions including sports and games.
In that excitement many sports persons go to extremes and often suffer the outcome. The sports persons having a calm and composed mind with patience do not adhere to such extreme practices.
In past many sports person have gone to such extremes especially in international level sports competitions and some of them were debarred or disqualified which was a setback to their careers. Such things are to be avoided because it is not only a setback to the person but the reputation of the country from which he is coming is also on stake.

Knowledge is power.

#781560

08 Aug 2024 22:39

Joined:	19/06/2011
Level:	Gold
Points:	87632

Points:	5

"What is this obsession? Is it really necessary to got to extreme lengths?"

It starts with the burning passion and then proceeds to mere competitive sport spirit. Then comes the killer spirit that gets inside because of the fame and popularity and hero-worship received by such winners. The other contributing factor in many items is the mere remuneration and incentives and ad contracts ne gets which one may not get even after working for full life.

Now coming to the specific case of Vinesh, I think what we read and hear is not all the real story. There may be many other things in the whole matter in which the concerned athlete also is responsible for the happening.

Babu's post(781536) has some truth in it and I also read about it elsewhere.
Though it is natural for us to feel deprived and dejected, we have to learn from this and be better prepared in future.

#781619

11 Aug 2024 20:57

Joined:	31/10/2012
Level:	Gold
Points:	4015

Points:	4

I read an article about Japanese wrestler Rei Higuchi (Paris Olympics Gold medallist in 57kg wrestling), where he mentioned about being disqualified from Tokyo Olympics just because he was 50 gram over the limit. He was one of the top contenders in Tokyo Olympics and still he wasn't allowed to participate because of rules. Higuchi mentioned that he was very fond of junk food and that's what lead to his disqualification. He rectified his past mistakes and he has now won a Gold medal in Paris Olympics. Aman Sehrawat met with Higuchi in the semifinal and we all know what was the result.

The difference between a great athlete and an ordinary athlete is the commitment and passion. Higuchi showed that passion and dedication for wrestling that ultimately made him a champion this time.

Humble yourself or life will do it for you!

What drives sportspersons to take extreme measures to meet qualifying standards?

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