Gajender Singh

Background: Badminton officials play a crucial role in ensuring fair play and accurate decision-making during competitions. However, officiating tasks are performed under high cognitive demands, time pressure, and social stressors, which can influence physiological responses and cognitive performance. Empirical evidence examining stress dynamics in badminton officials using objective physiological indicators remains limited. Methods: This study employed a descriptive repeated-measures design involving 102 certified badminton officials during a national-level competition. Heart rate data were recorded across five conditions: early morning rest, sitting near the referee table, during game intervals, between matches, and after competition. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, repeated-measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni post-hoc tests to identify differences in physiological responses across officiating situations. Result: Heart rate values increased progressively from resting conditions to peak levels during game intervals and between matches, indicating heightened physiological stress, before decreasing after the competition. Significant differences were observed across all measurement conditions (p < .001). Key stressors included spectator noise, high cognitive load, time pressure, and interpersonal and organizational demands. Elevated arousal levels suggested delayed physiological recovery during continuous officiating duties. Conclusion: Badminton officiating is associated with substantial physiological stress, particularly during critical match phases. Sustained stress may negatively affect cognitive and emotional functioning. The findings highlight the importance of implementing effective coping strategies, such as controlled breathing, mindfulness, and structured recovery routines, to support officials’ performance, well-being, and long-term officiating capacity.

Physical education courses, traditionally a blend of theory and practice for their own department students, are often delivered as purely theoretical classes for students from non-physical education disciplines enrolled in Generic Elective Courses (GEC). This approach can lead to disengagement and boredom, as students are already exposed to multiple theoretical classes throughout the day. To address this issue, the Department of Physical Education at the Central University of Haryana revised its GEC curriculum to include practical sessions alongside theoretical content. This study explores the impact of this curriculum revision on student engagement and physical fitness. Feedback from 200 postgraduate students, aged 20-25, indicated a strong preference for incorporating practical sessions into the curriculum, with 98% of respondents favoring this change. The revised curriculum allocated two hours per week for physical activities, aimed at enhancing student engagement and promoting the importance of physical fitness. The effectiveness of the new curriculum was assessed through a one-minute push-up test, measuring upper body strength at the beginning and end of the semester. Initial results showed that 50% of the students struggled to complete the test. However, by the end of the semester, 96% of students successfully completed the one-minute push-up test, indicating significant improvement in physical fitness. The study concludes that integrating practical sessions into GEC physical education courses not only improves student engagement but also enhances physical fitness. It highlights the need for a balanced approach, combining theory with hands-on activities, to foster holistic development. The findings suggest that other departments offering practical-oriented courses could benefit from incorporating similar practical components into their curricula.