COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MENTAL TOUGHNESS BETWEEN MALE BADMINTON AND TABLE TENNIS PLAYERS OF MANIPUR

Abstract

The current study aimed to explore significant differences in mental toughness
between national-level badminton and table tennis players of Manipur. Method: A total of 30
male players, aged ranged between 16 to 21 years, were purposively selected from Yening
Badminton Academy and Manipur Table Tennis Association, ensuring national-level
participation. The Mental Toughness Questionnaire-48 (MTQ48) by Peter Clough et al. (2002),
which measures control, commitment, challenge, and confidence, was used. Data were
analysed using IBM SPSS version 27, starting with descriptive statistics for mental toughness
sub-variables. The Shapiro-Wilk test confirmed normal distribution (p > 0.05). An independent
t-test, with a significance level of 0.05, was conducted to determine differences in mental
toughness between the two groups. Results: Statistical analysis revealed significant difference
in the commitment sub-variable. In the commitment sub-variable, the t-test showed a
significant difference with a t-value of 3.240 and p-value of 0.003, and a large effect size
(Cohen's d = 1.183), indicating higher levels of commitment in Badminton players. No
significant differences were found in control life, challenge, confidence in ability, and
confidence in interpersonal relationships. Conclusion: The findings suggest significant
differences in specific components of mental toughness between national-level badminton and
table tennis players, with Table Tennis players exhibiting better control over their emotions
and Badminton players showing higher levels of commitment. These differences may be
attributed to the distinct demands and characteristics of each sport.