ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
This study examines the relationship between anxiety levels and athletic performance among individual and team sport athletes in Malaysia. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from 90 athletes (46 female, 44 male) across various sports disciplines using the Competitive Sport Anxiety Instrument-2 (CSAI-2). Results revealed significant gender-based differences in anxiety manifestation, with female athletes demonstrating higher cognitive anxiety levels (M=3.03, SD=0.42) compared to males (M=2.74, SD=0.60). Individual sport athletes exhibited higher cognitive anxiety (M=2.94, SD=0.53) than team sport athletes (M=2.86, SD=0.54). These findings suggest that both gender and sport type significantly influence competitive anxiety levels, with implications for performance optimization and athlete support strategies.
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