New Delhi, Tendenthoi Devi Haobijam heads into her second Asian Games with a confidence that was missing when she made her debut at the Hangzhou edition three years ago, and the young Manipuri rower believes she can make a bigger impact this time.
This time, the preparation has been more consistent, with the crew also going through acclimatisation together and working on the mental side of competition, including meditation and sessions with a psychologist. “This time, we got the chance to practice together for a long time. So we got to know each other better and got the chance to grow together. I had seen her practice and seen how she brought a lot of recognition to the state. She had competed at the Asian Games, and I was inspired by her even before I started rowing.
“I have known Lakshmi since around 2007-08. Tendenthoi’s own journey began in 2019, when she was introduced to rowing through a local club in Moirang.
That has given us a lot of confidence,” she said. Now, when I train with her, she takes care of us and motivates us whenever we feel less confident,” she said.
