Abstract: Sports performance is influenced by several factors including physical conditioning, technical skill, tactical knowledge, and psychological preparedness. Among these, competitive anxiety and confidence are considered critical mental components that determine the athlete’s ability to perform successfully under pressure. The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of sports psychology interventions on competitive anxiety and confidence levels of hockey players belonging to tribal communities of Rajasthan. Thirty male players aged 18–24 were selected and randomly assigned into two groups of fifteen each. The experimental group underwent an eight-week psychological skills training program comprising progressive muscle relaxation, mental imagery, positive self-talk and goal setting. Competitive anxiety and confidence were measured using the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) before and after intervention. The results revealed that the experimental group showed a significant decrease in both cognitive and somatic anxiety, along with a remarkable increase in confidence level in comparison to the control group. It was concluded that psychological skills training is an effective tool for enhancing mental readiness and reducing performance anxiety in tribal hockey players.

Keywords: Sports psychology, competitive anxiety, confidence, psychological intervention, CSAI-2, tribal athletes.