Menstruation and its impact on women taking up and sticking with sport took centre stage at the Sportstar Conclave-Focus Bihar recently.
Paralympic silver medallist and former Paralympic Committee of India president Deepa Malik bemoaned the taboo surrounding the subject of menstruation.
Struggle for knowledge
“I began my sporting career as a swimmer and when I would ask my coach how to compete in the water when on my period, the response was more of “kaise besharmi se baat karti hai” (how shamelessly she talks). A foreign athlete then guided me to use a tampon. The shame needs to go,” she explained.
“A lot of our athletes suffer from very low haemoglobin levels. You mix that up with heavy bleeding, and that is going to be catastrophic.
“Athlete nutrition is a big problem,” said Aditi Mutatkar, Programme Head of Athlete and Women’s Initiatives at Simply Sport Foundation.
“Grassroots athletes are also not aware of options such as period underwear. There is a lack of awareness of the impact periods can have on performance,” the former badminton player said.
Domino effects
Mihira Khopkar, a sports nutritionist who works with Reliance Foundation Hospital, explained how poor menstrual health can impact other body markers too.
“A young girl kept having repeated stress fractures.
“The pressure to be light on weight and body fat, to be agile on the court and have good reaction time forced her to not follow the best diet.
“That low energy availability led her to have irregular periods, which dropped her estrogen levels, which is one of the most profound hormones that influences bone health.”
Coordinated support
B. Rajender, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Sports, Government of Bihar elaborated on the state’s three-level scholarship policy during the Sportstar Conclave.
“Bihar has launched three levels of sports scholarship policies. Prerna — at the grassroots level where we are giving ₹3 lakh each to 500 players in the 12-18 age bracket.
“Around 200 athletes form the second bracket in the 12-24 age category. The third layer — Udaan — is for international sportspersons. Twenty such athletes will receive ₹20 lakh each,” he said.
The Sportstar Focus-Bihar Conclave was presented by the Bihar State Sports Authority and the Department of Sports, Government of Bihar.
Associate sponsors were Indian Oil Corporation Limited and State Bank of India. Great SportsTech was the technology partner, and KPMG the knowledge partner.
Published – January 28, 2025 08:47 am IST
