Priyanka Gulati
We are all watching the FIFA World Cup unfold with all its infinitely attractive drama, the potpourri of colours, the display of emotions, the worship of heroes like Demi Gods, the cheers and the elegant passes, the speed and agility and dance of ball in all forms for the beautiful goal, the dramatic tackle on the surging attackers,the breathless penalty shots (ahh the triumph), the sweet revenge, the stunning upsets, the flamboyant celebration of victory and the hope for the next to watch a better and bigger game.
But, behind these rock stars, there are men with superstition, emotions and strange rigid match rituals.
For example, Neymar, has a chat with his father before every game. Some step into the field only with the right foot, and others wear socks a little above the knee. Ronaldo gets a haircut before every big game.
This made me think and ponder- What do our top bridge players do before and during a big event. They all spoke about, discussing bidding conventions, practicing play and defence. But what else sets them up? What makes their minds tick? With the 56th Winter National Bridge Championships, just around the corner, I tried to speak to a few of them to find out.
Jaggy Shivdasani ensures that he eats light and gets good sleep before ‘the tournament’. He also prefers sitting south or west. He clears his mind of all other thoughts to focus better. With his healthy snacks and water he is set for the tournament though, unlike Nadal, he does not place the bottles in a certain way.
Sandeep Thakral is a night bird so adjusting the schedule a few days earlier is big one for him. He also tries to complete all his chores before the event.
Ashok Goel starts the day with yoga and pranayam. This deep authentic practice sets his mind for the tournament.
Puja Batra tries to just stay calm and in the moment. She goes through oppositions convention card to chalk out defence against their system.
Monica is careful about sleeping on time and eating well before the tournament. She also does not discuss bridge before the event.
Hema reaches the venue all relaxed and notes down all doubts during the game and discusses them only later. She is all que sera sera at the table. She shared that she had observed some players in bridge (without naming names) who use the same pen for writing.
Arvind Vaidya ensures that he takes a morning walk before the game and reaches the table 15-20 minutes before the start time. He believes in minimal or no table talk and quick post mortem after a match to conserve energy.
Anshul Bhatt, our young world champion, had his own take on preparation. He said, "When Mr. Sachin Tendulkar called me, he explained the importance of maintaining a fixed schedule before matches with examples from his own experiences. He used to set alarms for different times of the night just to wake up and drink water, so that he was well hydrated".
In Italy, Anshul would go for a short walk, have breakfast meditate and see an interesting hand before the tournament.
Whether it’s a powder clap by Jordan or Nadal’s bottle fixation, per psychologists routines are important before big events to give confidence and peace of mind. It gives players the mindset that they are doing the best to get ready for the big day.
If it works in getting focus and right mindset then why not? What’s your ritual before the tournament? Do share it with everybody in the form of comments on this article.
Disclaimer : All opinions are entirely those of the author and are no reflection of the views of the BridgeFromHome Team.
View Comments
What you eat and when you eat is very important, in addition to plenty of fluids and sleeping early.
During a long tournament, no alcohol, no late nights, no postmortems just prior to match are important. Relaxing walk or swim in morning certainly helps. As in any high voltage sport, a correct combination of proteins and carbs taken by the clock depending on match schedule is vital.
Tobacco, paan are highly personalized issues.
"man(he/she) is a creature of habit"
The mind needs some semblance of control over the changing external stimuli.
rituals and routines are hence very important even outside tournaments.
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Looks like Mr Jaggy is a vaastu follower 😜.
Meditation before a game surely helps. Would advise Anshul to try 'Superbrain Yoga'.
No comments on tactics of ladies 😊
Generally, players tend to follow the SAME practices as they followed at the time of big exams. A very different aspect for Bridge Players is finding a suitable partner, atleast 6 months before the big event and do the hard work in those 6 months. I play very little bridge on the eve of big event and instead play other games / sports to keep my mind fresh and get rid of accumulated thrash.