Orijit Chaliha, Indian men’s badminton player Beyond medals and victories, mental health plays a big role in an athlete’s life and career. Athletes are often admired for their strength and toughness, but many quietly face mental health issues.Top athletes like Michael Phelps, Naomi Osaka, Tyson Fury, Serena Williams and Indian stars like PV Sindhu, Virat Kohli and many others have been vocal about the mental side of their careers.A 2019 assessment by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) found that many top male athletes in team sports such as hockey, football, cricket and rugby face mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. Almost 45% of these athletes reported having such symptoms, showing that even elite players struggle with mental health. The review also found that some male athletes use substances such as painkillers and opioids to manage pain, recover from injuries, or cope with the stress of training and competition.In an interview with Orijit Chaliha, an Indian men’s singles badminton player from Guwahati, Assam, the shuttle shed light on his struggles and why it is important for athletes to prioritize mental health.Former Indian junior No. 2, Chaliha is now ranked 20th in the senior rankings with a career-high national ranking of 9 and a world ranking of 156.He won his first senior international medal, a silver, at the 2025 Victor Croatian International.He is currently based in Bangalore, where he trains under Arvind Bhatt, two-time national men’s singles champion, at the Simply Sport Badminton Academy.
Orijit Chaliha is the silver medalist at the Victor Croatian International.
Mental health in sport is finally getting the attention it deserves, with more athletes speaking openly about their challenges. Orijit believes this change helps normalize conversations about mental well-being. “More athletes are talking about their hardships and their journey, be it on YouTube, Instagram or other platforms. This encourages others to open up too,” Orijit told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive chat. “Physical matches have always been emphasized, but mental matches have been considered taboo for a long time. That is changing now.” When asked if he has faced any mental challenges in his career and how he dealt with them, Orijit opened up about his experiences.Orijit said he faced a big mental challenge in 2020, soon after moving from the U-19 circuit to the senior level. The constant routine of daily exercise became exhausting and repetitive and he began to experience burnout.“It got to the point where winning wasn’t exciting and losing didn’t bother me either. I just lost the motivation to play,” he said.At the time, Orijit said he found these feelings difficult to deal with, especially since many people believed that skipping practice could damage an athlete’s career.
Orijit Chalih
Despite this pressure, he decided to take a break from badminton until he really felt the urge to come back, and he credits his support system for standing by him during this decision. Stepping away from the sport helped him see the bigger picture and reflect on his relationship with the game. “Ultimately, I made the brave decision to take a break from the sport and distance myself from it indefinitely and return to it as soon as I felt the desire to play again. I am extremely fortunate to have a support system that supported that decision.”“Being away from sports helped me look at the bigger picture and separate myself from the daily grind and look at things rationally. It was hard for me to do that when I was involved in the whole routine.” he said.After several months of reflection, Orijito gradually regained his love for the game and slowly returned to training at his own pace, with his motivation to compete eventually returning.“When I returned to full-time training, I carried the lessons I learned during that break with me,” he explained, adding that he now focuses on making exercise fun and challenging, while looking after his mental well-being and trusting himself.
Orijit Chalih
Orijit emphasized that accepting criticism and failure is key to professional growth. “At some point in your career, you realize that criticism and failure are part of the process of becoming a champion. The better you play, the more people notice your performance – it’s inevitable that some of them will be negative,” he explained.He added that criticism can even be seen as a privilege. “When people criticize you, it shows that you have influence. Failures teach you what to improve on, and using that feedback makes you a stronger player,” he said.Asked about growing mental health support for athletes in India, Orijit said the system is slowly improving.“National centres, especially in badminton, now hire psychologists who travel with players to domestic and international tournaments. It was unheard of a few years ago. Now players can talk to psychologists before and after matches, which is a huge step forward,” he said.When asked how athletes handle the pressure in India compared to other countries, he said there is a noticeable difference.“Players in Western countries tend to take criticism more easily, while in India and other Asian countries the athletes and their support teams are tougher on each other. It’s tougher, but it also helps build resilience,” he said.
Orijit Chalih
Orijit emphasized the importance of acceptance and preparation. “The pressure will always be there. It’s important to treat it as normal and find strategies that work for you. Take time off the court to think about the situations that give you pressure and plan how you will handle them. Accepting the pressure and preparing for it helps build resilience,” he said.When asked how to stay motivated during low points, Orijit shared his personal mantra: “The only way is through.”He explained, “Whatever challenge comes your way, the only way to overcome it is to go through it. Every situation is a learning opportunity and facing obstacles makes you a stronger and better athlete.”
