Vol. 5, Issue 2, Part B (2023)

The present study examines the interplay between general health, personality traits, and emotional intelligence among athletes participating in various sports at differing levels of competition. The objective is to analyze how these variables manifest across team sports and individual sports playing at various competition levels. General health is posited as a foundational determinant influencing physical performance in athletes, while personality traits-extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability-are critical in shaping athletes' responses to competitive environments. Emotional intelligence, particularly in domains of emotional regulation, stress management, and interpersonal relationships, plays a crucial role in how athletes navigate pressure and sustain optimal performance. The study sample consists of 600 athletes, equally representing team sports (Football, basketball, handball) and individual sports (Archery, fencing, athletics) with participants selected through purposive sampling from both interuniversity and intercollege competitions. Employing a quantitative research design, the study utilizes the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28, Goldberg, 2000), NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI, Costa and McCrae, 2005) and Emotional Intelligence Inventory (Mangal & Mangal, 2009), all adhering to the latest standardized norms. Pearson’s product moment correlation is employed to find out significant correlation coefficients among the variables of general health, personality traits, and emotional intelligence. The significant findings are discussed in the context of existing empirical evidence, offering insights into the psychological and emotional dimensions of athletic success.