Mind and body have to gel

Five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand, who's also a director at Olympic Gold Quest, analyses what it takes to train a sportsperson at the highest level.
I have often heard that chess is played only in the mind, and that the body has nothing to do with the game. Conversely, I have also heard that athletes only have to perform with the body, and their performance has nothing to do with the mind.But actually, in both cases, the mind and the body have to gel to get the desired result.
I do a lot of physical training before a big chess match, and I am sure most athletes apply their mind during their battles as well. The only exception may be the sprint, where you don't have the time to think, so never mind.
In the Olympics, like in chess, Russia or the former Soviet Union had a system to fall back upon. The champions from different generations used to interact with each other often, and each generation benefited from the previous one.
That's what we are trying with the Olympic Gold Quest, as we give the top sportsmen the kind of training that would take them to world standards, not in a hurry but with systematic training.
Having said that, I know how Indian hockey lost its momentum despite generations of champions. The breakdown may have happened because of some external factors. Though I am not an expert to comment on this, I guess technology was one of the factors that dealt a crucial blow, especially the artificial turf.
Concentration is one factor that sportsmen surely need, especially in skill disciplines such as archery and shooting. Very often, the mind plays such important roles that you see some amazing stuff which may not be relevant to the situation; at times, you may be distracted in crucial situations.
The important thing is to focus and the essence is important. In archery and shooting, the role of the mind is more because you let go one moment and the result could depend solely on that moment.