Kerala: Unwillingness to accept defeat costly

Kottayam: Experts blame the absence of forces fostering independent thinking for incidents like the last week's suicide of Argentinian fan Dinu Alex  "We should study the issues the fans associations create," said Dr S. Satheesh, head of the department of psychiatry at the Kottayam MCH.  "Such impulsive decisions originate from the unwillingness to accept defeat in life." He finds similarity in the psychology of football fans and that of film actors.

"Fans of film stars are youngsters, and most of their decisions are impulsive," he told DC.  "In this case, more things could be said only after knowing things about the individuals in detail." Kochi-based psychiatrist Dr C.J. John said in most cases, the fan fails to differentiate between the defeat of the player and himself.
Another reason is the absence of sportsman spirit. "They will blindly follow the players without proper thinking. They should realise that life is life and game is game," he said.

Friends of Dinu says that he was not an avid football fan from his childhood. However, later on, he became a soccer fan. "Mostly, he used to discuss with us things relating to his career," said a friend who did not want to be named. "He was going to PSC coaching classes of late and was seriously thinking about building a future."