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VOL. 11, ISSUE 3 (2026)
Pre-competition anxiety and coping strategies among Indian boxers
Authors
Nishant Yadav, Dr. B S Dhotre
Abstract
Boxing is one of the oldest combat sports practised in India, and over the
last two decades it has grown from a marginal discipline into one of the country's
most medal-rich Olympic sports. Yet, behind every punch thrown in the ring lies
a mental battle that is fought much before the bell rings — the battle against pre-competition
anxiety. This paper looks closely at the nature, causes, and levels of pre-competition
anxiety experienced by boxers training and competing in Nagpur, Maharashtra, and
examines the coping strategies these athletes use to manage this anxiety. Nagpur,
being a rapidly emerging centre for boxing in central India with several government
and private academies producing state and national-level talent, offers a useful
setting to study how young Indian boxers handle the psychological pressure of competition.
The paper draws upon existing literature in sport psychology, particularly the multidimensional
theory of anxiety, and situates it within the socio-cultural realities of Indian
sport — joint family expectations, financial constraints on training, the coach-as-mentor
tradition, and the pressure of balancing academics with athletics. A descriptive
survey approach involving boxers from Nagpur's district and state-level boxing academies
was used to understand somatic anxiety, cognitive worry, and self-confidence patterns
before competition, along with the problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance-based
coping mechanisms adopted by these athletes. The findings suggest that pre-competition
anxiety among Nagpur boxers is shaped as much by external, culturally rooted pressures
as by the demands of the sport itself, and that coping is often a blend of modern
sport psychology techniques and traditional, faith-based, and family-oriented practices.
The paper closes with practical suggestions for coaches, sports psychologists, and
boxing federations on how psychological preparation can be woven into the everyday
training culture of Indian boxing academies.
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Pages:53-57
How to cite this article:
Nishant Yadav, Dr. B S Dhotre "Pre-competition anxiety and coping strategies among Indian boxers". International Journal of Yoga, Physiotherapy and Physical Education, Vol 11, Issue 3, 2026, Pages 53-57
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