[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/media-versus-athletes-who-has-the-power-if-at-all\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/media-versus-athletes-who-has-the-power-if-at-all\/","headline":"Media versus athletes: Who has the power, if at all?\u00a0","name":"Media versus athletes: Who has the power, if at all?\u00a0","description":"In May, world number two tennis player Naomi Osaka shook the sporting world when she announced she was skipping her media engagements during the French Open, and subsequently withdrew from the competition, citing the need to protect her own mental health. Her actions took the world by surprise, and even as she faced a backlash, […]","datePublished":"2021-06-17","dateModified":"2022-04-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Ming%20En%20Liew\/#Person","name":"Ming En Liew","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/Ming%20En%20Liew\/","identifier":132,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fe7a89455a989038349633329a6e4ad6299388f5e1e3ea83c28126090b2314f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8fe7a89455a989038349633329a6e4ad6299388f5e1e3ea83c28126090b2314f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1623899979547_1280X626_283729.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1623899979547_1280X626_283729.jpg","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/media-versus-athletes-who-has-the-power-if-at-all\/","commentCount":"3","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/media-versus-athletes-who-has-the-power-if-at-all\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2026-05-02 17:28:39","description":"You\u2019ve got a new fan here!","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"watch horse racing live free","url":"https:\/\/toramonline.com\/proxy.php?link=https:\/\/www.oneotv.com\/&s=b"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/media-versus-athletes-who-has-the-power-if-at-all\/#Comment2","dateCreated":"2026-04-28 14:31:35","description":"Such a valuable resource.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"women's vans sneakers","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/women\/vans-women-shoes"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/media-versus-athletes-who-has-the-power-if-at-all\/#Comment3","dateCreated":"2026-04-25 11:51:06","description":"Impressive clarity and structure.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Salomon hiking water shoes","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/women\/Salomon-Women-Shoes"}}],"about":["Uncategorized"],"wordCount":1573,"articleBody":"In May, world number two tennis player Naomi Osaka shook the sporting world when she announced she was skipping her media engagements during the French Open, and subsequently withdrew from the competition, citing the need to protect her own mental health. Her actions took the world by surprise, and even as she faced a backlash, the world took sides, which beg the questions: Do athletes have an obligation to the media? Should their mental health take precedence over any such obligations? Should leeway be given in exceptional cases? TheHomeGround Asia seeks to answer these questions, and more.Being an athlete today is not just about being good at your sport, if the debacle surrounding world number two tennis player Naomi Osaka is any indication. The 23-year-old, four-time Grand Slam winner, may have climbed up the ranks with her athletic prowess, but her decision to avoid the media spotlight inadvertently saw her stepping off the playing field. Osaka had cited her battle with depression and anxiety as reasons for taking time out. As of 16 June, she is still set to play at Wimbledon later this month.Other stakeholders have weighed in on her decision. Rafael Nadal, a 13-time winner of the French Open, highlights the integral role of the press in garnering the public\u2019s interest for tennis over the years, while French Tennis Federation President Gilles Moretton describes Osaka’s actions as a \u201cphenomenal mistake\u201d.\u00a0Closer to home, stakeholders in the sports industry acknowledge that the media provides value to athletes.\u00a0\u201cI feel strongly that athletes have the responsibility to and must communicate with the media, because that’s the channel by which their personality, and all good things about them as an athlete is channelled through,\u201d says sports psychologist Edgar Tham. \u201cMedia has a purpose in communicating the values and things important in sport; rags to riches stories, success stories. Those are important messages that we want the public to learn from.\u201dMany local athletes seem to accept the importance of facing the media, and feel \u201ca responsibility to be ambassadors\u201d of their sport and team, according to Dolly Lo, 53, whose youngest son is heading to the Olympics in Tokyo next month, representing Singapore in sailing, while her two older children were also competitive sailors.\u00a0\u00a0Dolly Lo (right) with her youngest son, Ryan Lo, a Team Singapore sailor. Ms Lo believes that many local athletes feel a responsibility to be an ambassador of their sport. (Photo courtesy of Dolly Lo)Ms Lo says: \u201cIf an athlete has a compelling story, and it is written about, do you know how inspiring and far-reaching its effects on people can be? We need more of these inspiring stories. A lot of [our athletes] have a wonderful story to tell, and they are very open to speaking with the media.\u201dONE Championship fighter Amir Khan agrees: \u201cMany high level athletes have this common thing; they want to influence the mass media or inspire. There’s a kind of intrinsic motivation behind just winning.\u201dBut where does this leave athletes like Osaka, who may not share the same openness in speaking with the media, and whose interactions with the media may leave her worse for wear?The downsides of media interactionOsaka\u2019s personality may have played a role, suggests Mr Tham.\u00a0\u201cHer personality is a bit more introverted,\u201d he muses. \u201cSome people handle the media well, some people cannot.\u201dSports psychologist Edgar Tham believes that Naomi Osaka’s introverted personality may have contributed to her discomfort in being under public scrutiny. (Photo courtesy of Edgar Tham)Mr Khan is one such example; having been fighting professionally since 2014, he is no stranger to interviews. Holding the current title of having the most knockouts in ONE history, and being an athlete living with Tourette\u2019s syndrome (a neurological disorder characterised by involuntary tics and muscle spasms) has seen him featured in numerous media appearances, beyond the usual pre- and post-match interviews.\u00a0Today, the man TheHomeGround Asia speaks to appears completely at ease with being interviewed. He answers each question readily, with no hint of hesitation or uncertainty.\u00a0Amir Khan, a ONE Championship fighter, used to be uncomfortable in front of cameras but has since shed his shyness. (Photo courtesy of ONE Championship)But, he reveals, the confident persona he adopts today is a far cry from the past.\u00a0\u201cGrowing up with Tourette\u2019s, I was not sure if I was comfortable with [talking about it]. It\u2019s highlighting my past, and my weaknesses,\u201d he explains.\u00a0\u201cInitially, it was really difficult for me,\u201d he recounts. \u201cNaturally, I\u2019m introverted, and prior to that, I didn\u2019t have any media training… I would stutter a lot. I was scared to death every time there\u2019s a camera in front of me, or someone was asking me questions.\u201d\u00a0While he believes that these past blunders with the media did not directly affect his sports performance, he recognises that it might have impacted less tangible factors: \u201cIt can affect the brand of the fighter. If I come across more confident, my opponent will think I\u2019m more confident to fight, kind of to play some psychological effect on my opponents.\u201dHe adds that faltering during a post-fight interview can influence his feelings as well: \u201cIt affected the sweetness of the victory… You\u2019re happy you made a win but sometimes, you want to leave a statement.\u201dStill, the fighter recognises that it is part and parcel of his role, and actively works on his communication skills by reading more, and initiating more conversations in his daily life. Nevertheless, he says that speaking to the media does have its potential pitfalls.\u00a0\u201cDefinitely, the media is a distraction, because it\u2019s something you have to worry about other than preparing for competition,\u201d he says. \u201cSometimes, the media likes to ask probing questions, [but as athletes], we want to be emotionless.\u201d\u00a0The media can be a double-edged sword for athletes, says Dolly Lo. (Photo source: Canva)\u00a0Mr Tham shares: \u201cSometimes, what [the media] say might put pressure on the athletes. The questions that the media always asks, like \u2018How do you think you will do?\u2019, or \u2018Who will win?\u2019… the athletes cannot think like that.\u201cFrom a psychological standpoint, that’s what we call ‘outcome thinking’, and that sabotages an athlete’s preparation.\u201dMs Lo emphasises that media interactions are a \u201cdouble-edged sword\u201d. Even when athletes are open, she thinks that it is up the media to \u201ccatch the gist and nuances\u201d of what the athlete is saying: \u201cRather than package it in a way that is not what the athlete intended. If we’re not careful, you can actually devastate them.\u201dA two-way streetBoth athletes and the media need to establish a common ground, asserts Mr Tham. Both parties can stand to benefit from each other but boundaries need to be established, he says.\u00a0He explains: \u201cMedia needs to understand that athletes need that space and time to prepare themselves… Sometimes, asking the wrong questions gets athletes doubting themselves, and I\u2019ve seen athletes break down in the competition because of that.\u201dAppealing to the media, he asks that they avoid questions about winning medals and try to understand the psychology of athletes: \u201cThey need to switch mindsets [before competing]. While you want to talk about winning, can. But do it at a time when they are ready to talk about it, not when they are just about to walk into the arena and compete. You are distracting them.\u201d\u00a0\u201cNot everyone is like Serena Williams\u201d who is more extroverted and gung-ho, he notes. Rather, players like Osaka are \u201ca bit more shy, quiet\u201d and while \u201cshe is a good player\u201d, the media must understand that she probably \u201ccannot handle\u201d the scrutiny as well.Edgar Tham reminds the media that not every athlete is comfortable under public scrutiny, and hopes for greater understanding for athletes like Naomi Osaka. (Photo source: Naomi Osaka \u5927\u5742\u306a\u304a\u307f \/ Facebook)Meanwhile, Mr Khan suggests that it will do athletes good to go through formal media training to mentally prepare for various scenarios. \u201cAthletes can train how they [react]… so even if the interviewer asks them some personal question, they answer, get their job done, and it’s not gonna affect them… Put them in role-playing scenarios… [teach them] how to deflect questions,\u201d he suggests.Mr Tham floats the idea of inviting the media to explain to athletes, coaches and officials \u201chow media works, and what they like to see in communication\u201d, on top of creating mock interviews for the athletes, to help them desensitise in such interactions.\u00a0And while the media serves as a conduit between athletes and the public, Ms Lo underscores that the public, too, can forge a hospitable environment for athletes to thrive in.\u00a0\u201cWhat kind of society do we want to be?\u201d she questions. \u201cAre we a society that encourages or do we just want to nitpick? When society keeps focusing on the outcome, then very often, the athletes will become stressed (which affects their performance).\u201cAfter so many years, [the athlete] is still waking up at 5am, going to the track or going to the pool or going to the waters to train, so that they can be better.\u201cTry to put yourself in their shoes,\u201d Ms Lo requests. \u201cKnow that they are human, just like you and I.\u201dJoin the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia’s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Uncategorized","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Media versus athletes: Who has the power, if at all?\u00a0","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/uncategorized\/media-versus-athletes-who-has-the-power-if-at-all\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]