TT coach asks players to use visualisation techniques to stay positive

“Players could do visualization where they can think of going to the academy and playing their shots, or playing in top tournaments," he said.

TT coach Soumyadeep Roy says visualisation is important technique to develop mental strength in modern-day sport. (File photo)

Former national table tennis champion and coach Soumyadeep Roy has asked the paddlers to employ visualisation techniques to improve their mental strength and maintain a positive outlook to life during the lockdown.

“Visualization is an effective tool in modern-day sport. Players could do visualization where they can think of going to the academy and playing their shots, or playing in top tournaments. For beginners, they could do it once a day for 10 minutes and for seniors it could be twice a day for around 30 minutes,” said the 36-year-old while speaking to Sports Authority of India coaches and players via videoconference. He was talking on the topic of ‘mental health during present time and importance of change and adaptability’.

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Roy said it took him nearly one year to change a lot of things in his ward and reigning national champion Sutirtha Mukherjee’s game. “It won’t happen overnight, We worked on a lot of things. We were thrilled when she reached the [women's] top 100 in world rankings this month for the first time, after being in the 500s last year, in her career,” said Roy.