Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Bad patch for these icons” (June 24).
There is no doubt that both world chess champion V Anand and badminton ace Saina Nehwal are players with established class. In sports, we often see a distinction being made between the capacity for high-grade performance and its actualisation. Therefore, when a top sportsperson fails to perform in accordance with past record, it is interpreted as a temporary loss of form; which would, hopefully, be regained sooner than later.
Form is, in reality, an enabling condition. If the physical or mental condition conducive to the desired level of performance is on the wane, then it is time for the sportsperson concerned to call it quits. let us fondly hope that such a time has not yet arrived for either Anand or Nehwal. They still have a lot to offer sports.