‘Awareness on menstrual hygiene needed at grassroots level in sports’
Women athletes competing in Khelo India University Games call for more awareness on menstrual hygiene at grassroots level in sports, with access to facilities and education. They highlight the importance of knowing how to navigate menstruation while on tour and managing mental health during periods.
Awareness on menstrual hygiene needs to be spread at grassroots level in sport as this is the area where more attention is needed, feel the women athletes who are competing in different sporting activities under the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) in Lucknow.
Several women athletes shared their opinions with the Khelo India authorities regarding the awareness of menstrual hygiene in the sports circuit on World Menstrual Hygiene Day on Sunday, as per the press communique.
According to the majority of the players, it is important for facilities to reach the grassroots levels so that the gap in knowledge can be addressed holistically and access should be provided to those who do not have it.
“More awareness should be raised among women at the grassroots level because that’s where it is needed the most,” said Manu Bhaker, Indian team shooter from Panjab University.
Indian tennis player and South Asian Games medallist Sravya Shivani Chilakalapudi spoke about the necessity of knowing how to navigate menstruation when on tour. “Being women, we have a lot more obstacles as compared to men. Since our bodies are built differently, it’s crucial to know how to train depending on your cycle and knowing when your body peaks and falls. It’s extremely important to be mindful of our hormones and moods as well. It’s quite difficult to maintain consistency as a woman and knowing how to navigate our bodies makes it easier to maintain the balance when on tour,” she said.
Table tennis player Nithyashree Mani highlighted that a separate curriculum should be designed to educate women in sports on how to manage their mental health and there should be dedicated initiatives and programmes for the same. “Many athletes go through several mental and physical stress during their periods which can be very challenging during a tournament,” she stressed.
