Sport Psychology in India: Current Status and Future Directions

Abstract

India has one of the oldest civilizations in the world-a civilization that throughout history has emphasized the role of physical activity, sports, and games in enhancing one's well-being and as a means of recreation. Writings from early holy books, for example, indicate that Indians had a good idea of the bodylmind relationship as early as 4,000 years ago. Similarly, yoga, which in recent years has become popular in the west, has existed for centuries in Indian culture and demonstrates the importance that physical activity can have on mental states. Given this background, one might expect that sport psychology would be well established in India. Unfortunately this is not the case, as sport psychology has only begun to emerge in recent years. Moreover, there is a need to understand the development of sport psychology in India, its current status and possible directions for future growth. This article discusses the status of and possible future directions in sport psychology in India and will be organized around three topics. First, the history and current organizational structure of sport psychology in India will be described. Second, key lines of sport psychology research will be identified. Finally, possible directions for future developments in Indian sport psychology will be examined.