Lockdown effect: Junior badminton coach says feel like a counsellor dealing with frustrated players

Confined to their homes without access to courts due to the lockdown, India's young shuttlers are an "irritated" and "frustrated" lot, says chief junior national coach Sanjay Mishra, who feels more like a counsellor these days.

The national lockdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far killed nearly 2000 people and infected more than 59,000 in India, is in place till May 17.

"It has been nearly two months, the young players have been staying at home and now they are getting irritated and frustrated by the sheer mention of the word lockdown," Mishra, who took up the position in 2017, told PTI during an interaction.

"I keep telling them it is happening to the whole world not to you in particular and ask them to focus on boosting their mental toughness."

Mishra says he tells his wards to try and control the negative thoughts which would also help them deal with tough match situations.

"I tell them to remember the times when they got frustrated or irritated and lost crucial ..