Photo courtesy: Badmintonphoto.com
Vol. 2. No. 8
For Private Circulation Only
August 2010
August 2010
Jwala-Ashwini stunned in final; two titles for Aparna Balan
J
wala Gutta, India’s most mercurial doubles player, has such an overwhelming record in India that it’s an effort for her to remember when she last lost. That was some seven or eight years ago. The latest was in the final of the Maruti Suzuki All India Senior Ranking badminton tournament at Bangalore, when she and local girl Ashwini Ponnappa, the world No.15 pair, were left shocked by Aparna Balan and Prajakta Sawant at KGS Club. Aparna and Prajakta won 21-19 21-11 – which turned out to be Aparna’s first of two titles on the day. “I played badly, it’s my fault,” admitted the erratic Jwala, who hit far too many shuttles into the net, and even on occasion made errors of judgement and clashed with her partner while going for the shuttle. Jwala, in partnership with Shruti Kurien earlier and now with Ashwini Ponnappa, has been nearly unbeatable in India – and the loss will sting. Bangalore-based shuttlers Anup Sridhar and Trupti Murgunde won the singles titles in contrasting manner. Trupti was elegant and assured; she controlled the rallies well and was rarely troubled by the Maharashtra youngster Arundhati Pantwane. Anup Sridhar, on the other hand, had to scratch out a three-game win against Saurabh Verma, who wasn’t expected to trouble him so much. Anup was patchy and below his best against Verma, who put up a plucky show. At a time when badminton has been dominated by power hitters, Trupti is a relief. Young challenger Arundhati Pantwane had upset second seed Sayali Gokhale in the
Saina Nehwal
Anup, Trupti triumph on home turf the end, and Anup had two match points but lost both. Perhaps the physical effort had taken its toll on Verma, for he slid in the early part of the third game, falling in arrears at 4-15 and 7-18. Anup had the match in his pocket at 20-9, and so anxious was he to get through the tense tie that he misjudged tosses at the baseline and allowed Verma to get to 15, before he eventually closed it out. semifinals with a pacy, aggressive game full of big smashes, but against Trupti, that game came to naught. The older girl kept an immaculate length, which prevented the big smashes from coming in, and constantly varied her line of attack using delectable half-smashes and extracting the lift with tight net dribbles. Trupti ran up a
national circuit/ bndba Senior ranking 9-1 lead in the first game, closing it out at 21-12, and 13-7 in the second. Arundhati made a belated challenge helped by four consecutive errors from Trupti, but at 1719 came another immaculate dribble that died off the tape, and Trupti closed it out at 21-18. Anup struggles against Verma Saurabh Verma, a counterpuncher somewhat in the mould of Guru Sai Dutt, fought with heart right until the end against an opponent who seemed to have the bigger weapons. He set the pace early, taking big leads in the first two games, and was able to dictate terms with a fierce down-theline smash to Anup’s forehand flank that found no answer. Too often an impatient Anup tried to hit through Verma, which the Madhya Pradesh lad defended astutely and then turned to his advantage. Only when the Bangalorean employed craft over power did he control the rally – he earned first game point by patiently working the point, before killing with his big smash. But that point was an aberration, as Verma again built up a lead and had Anup chasing him. The game turned tight towards
Arundhati downs Sayali in semis Upsets rocked the penultimate day, with Arundhati Pantwane and Saurabh Verma sealing their places in the finals. Pantwane took down second seed and 2008 national champion Sayali Gokhale, effecting a comeback after being whipped 21-6 in the first game. Verma won a tight first game against Anand Pawar, who’s working his way back in after a slipped disc last year, and had it relatively easy in the second. Meanwhile, Anup Sridhar and Trupti Murgunde bucked the trend of upsets to enter the finals. Trupti fought off a feisty challenge from Neha Pandit, while Anup Sridhar wasn’t stretched by state-mate Rohan Castelino. BNDBA did their level best to make this tournament a grand sucess. Results (all finals) Men’s singles: 2-Anup Sridhar (PET) bt Saurabh Verma (MP) 21-19 20-22 21-15 Women’s singles: 1-Trupti Murgunde (PET) bt 7-Arundhati Pantwane (MAH) 21-12 21-18 Men’s doubles: 2-Pranav Chopra/ Tarun Kona bt 1-Akshay Dewalkar/ Arun Vishnu 21-18 12-21 21-19 Women’s doubles: 2-Aparna Balan/ Prajakta Sawant bt 4-Jwala Gutta/ Ashwini Ponnappa 21-19 21-11 Mixed doubles: 1-Arun Vishnu/ Aparna Balan bt 2-Pranav Chopra/ Prajakta Sawant 21-16 18-21 21-19
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August 2010
Arundhati Pantwane's first crown T
he event-starved Indian badminton circuit had the second senior ranking tournament of the year at Bareilly from 2nd to 6th August 2010. This tournament was postponed twice earlier causing heartburn to several players and parents who lost their (air and train) ticket fare. The players were recently hit by the cancellation of the TATA Open in Mumbai. We hope BAI takes note of this and ensures that organisers stick to their word on conducting tournaments taken up by them. Otherwise, it is a clear case of double standards wherein BAI fines players for withdrawal of entries and goes off scot-free when their tournaments are cancelled.
in the final, in straight games. Saurabh Verma had to sweat it out in the first match against Kiran Kumar of Railways. Verma also had a close match against Utsav Misra in the quarters. Verma saved two match points in the second game which made Utsav mentally and physically exhausted and he conceded the decider. Saurabh is turning out to be a player with good match temperament and he later beat Sumeet Reddy in the semifinal. Sumeet survived a fighting Srikanth in the first round with both exchanging match points in the decider. Second seeded Rohan Castelino also had a long three-setter in
It was raining in Bareilly in the evenings but the climate was hot and humid and was a testing time for the players. A few players got hurt as the Hova courts were laid on uneven wooden flooring and there were even bumps all over the court. The roof of the stadium was leaking and the organisers were ready with buckets and cleaning boys. But many a time players were seen cleaning the court after each rally. On many occasions matches had to be stopped which resulted in late night matches played well after midnight. On the day of the quarterfinals, it started raining in the morning and play was ‘washed off’ and the rest of the matches were shifted to an engineering college campus. All players and officials were transported to the venue. The courts and arrangements were excellent. Many college students turned up to watch the matches and badminton was played in front of a packed crowd, which is a rare sight. The conduct of this tournament throws up mixed emotions. Those genuinely interested in the welfare of players would not have permitted the tournament to be held on courts as dangerous as these. Chetan Anand extended Chetan was twice extended – first by a half-fit Ravindra Singh in the pre-quarters and by Abhimanyu Singh in the quarters. Chetan was really fortunate to escape in this marathon, when Abhimanyu twisted his knee and had to be carried away in the third game with the score a close 14-13. The semifinals and finals were relatively easy for the national champion who found his classy touch by that time. He exhibited his proven skills to fox his younger opponents – Nandagopal in the semis and Saurabh Verma
there will be stricter rules for players who withdraw from the main draw. Sixth seeded Arundhati Patwane won the title beating Sanyogita Ghorpade 14-21, 2112, 21-9. Arundhati had a narrow escape in the first round against Mohita Sachdev of Delhi. Mohita could not convert the two match points she got in the second game of an absorbing match which tested both players’ mental and physical capacities. Arundhati repeated the wins she had in Bangalore over Thulasi and Sayali, in Bareilly as well, overcoming them in tense, long three-setters. Arundhati’s return is a good omen for women’s badminton in India which is showing a surge of interest thanks to Saina’s exploits. Qualifier Sanyogita Ghorpade survived four long matches against Sarada Govardhini, Mudra Dhainje, Parssa Naqvi and Maneesha to reach the semis. In the semis, Sanyogita upset Neha Pandit in a tough battle to reach the final. Double for Aparna Balan
national circuit/ Bareilly senior ranking the first round itself with Eshan Naqvi and another tough match against Vinay Kumar Reddy, both of which took their toll on him. Rohan was just a pale shadow of himself in the quarters against Sumeet. Nandagopal reached the semis defeating Mohit Kamat who could not move well due to the heat and a troublesome knee. The last two tournaments gave a bunch of strong and hardworking junior players, such as Sai Praneeth, Sumeet Reddy, HS Prannoy, Nandagopal, Eshan Naqvi and Srikant, a smooth transition to the senior level. Their success in international badminton will depend on how they develop in the next couple of years. In the women’s singles there were many three-setters and upsets. In the absence of Trupti the event was thrown open. We hope
With our best teams in the paired events choosing to stay away, the doubles events lost much of their sheen. Aparna won her second consecutive double crown winning both her women’s doubles and mixed doubles in the company of Prajakta Sawant and Arun Vishnu respectively. Aparna and Prajakta had to dig deep in their final against Pradnya Gadre and Jyotsna before coming through 18-21, 21-14, 21-12. Aparna and Arun Vishnu won their mixed doubles title without much ado beating Pranav Chopra and Prajakta 22-20, 21-12. Manu Atree and Jishnu Sanyal, the newly formed pair, did well to upset the top seeds Tarun Kona/ Pranav Chopra in straight games in the semis. They lost to Arun Vishnu and Akshay Dewalkar 20-22,1421 in the final. Arun and Akshay seem to have settled down and they dominated the tournament. They beat Alwin Francis/ Bennet Antony who had taken them to three sets in Bangalore, rather easily at 21-13, 21-13 in the semis. How these three teams will fare against Sanave and Rupesh this year will be interesting. With all the hiccups on the organising front, this tournament saw a rise in standard of badminton - with a lot of new players coming up and fighting bravely with seniors – in numbers and skill. – TR Balachandran
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GUTS - A Window into World Badminton
August 2010
‘Looking forward to the Olympics’ It’s been a year since JWALA GUTTA and ASHWINI PONNAPPA launched their partnership. The pair has had a spectacular journey, beating some established pairs, and troubling the best. The new partnership is now a feared combination – with Ashwini’s heavy hitting from the back complemented by Jwala’s lefthanded trickery up front. GUTS catches up with the World No.15 pair
W
hat’s it about your pair that has made you successful?
Jwala: We’re among the hardest hitters in women’s doubles. We talk a lot, on and off the court, and communication is important. We have higher goals. We never thought being national champions was good enough. Ashwini: During the first match, at the Singapore Open, I was shaky and nervous, but the second time it was better. She’s very supportive, and that matters. Because I was the one who talks, and now I had someone who also talks. The best part is, if something’s on my mind, she listens. We communicate, so that’s good. I was very confident of her game. I never was worried. Both of us believe in ourselves. We can be world No.1 if we want. We’re getting there. Aren’t your personalities different? Jwala: Not really. I might be louder, but we think the same way. We have a lot in common. Me and Shruti (former partner) used to think differently, which did not help us. Ashwini and I think similarly. Ashwini: It didn’t take me long to adjust to Jwala. It helped because I was confident of my partner, and that helped me play my game without worrying about whether my partner’s going to return the shuttle. That made me confident about my strokes, so I started playing better. As we played more and more tournaments, we started taking out good matches. At the Singapore Open, we beat the (top seeded) Japanese pair. We’d lost thrice to them before. We are stretching the top Chinese pairs. We need to get used to that standard. Now I don’t expect to get easy points while hitting. Even if I make a mistake she tells me to forget it. I sometimes brood over mistakes, but I listen when she talks, and it’s nice that she listens when I talk, too. Do you relate off-court as well as you do on court? Jwala: We love shopping. We’re both similar. She might be a calmer than me, but we have similar tastes; we even like the same kind of food. We’ve both performed well. No Indian women’s doubles pair has come below
no.21, but we’ve touched no.13. I never expected it to go below 15. Growing up in the Indian circuit, with no emphasis on doubles, is it harder for Indians to excel? Ashwini: Yes, there’s no motivation. It’s quite demoralising, actually. There’s no mention of our performances. There’s absolutely no coverage. Jwala: There’s no incentive. Diju and I reached the final of the Super Series Masters, but there was no appreciation from the association. We were No.7 in the world. There should be no discrimination. Are the basics that you learn while growing up good enough for the highest level? Ashwini: You need to keep working on it. The other top pairs analyse your game really fast. We can’t play the same game, we need to keep changing. It’s like attacking is our strong point, but they know it, so we have to work on our defence as well. Jwala: The girls have become stronger and faster. In mixed, there’s no difference between girls and boys. We’re able to smash and take the men’s smashes. On the circuit, what’s it like to be among the top pairs in the world? Ashwini: Awesome. I’m really excited about becoming no.13, I never expected it. Jwala: Everybody knows we’re there, they’re worried about us. They have an image of us now. The respect you get is different. Do you plan for every team, or do you just go ahead and play your game? Jwala: You cannot plan, because now the competition is so fierce, that if you go with one set strategy, they’re already ready. So you have to go with open mind, saying we can change our strategy, we should be able to change our strategy whenever we want, and we should be consistent. If we are not consistent, it’s difficult to manage. You can make out their game within one or two points. That’s how it should be. Ashwini: We just go with confidence. We haven’t quite seen the way our opponents play. Except for the Europeans, the others
play a similar kind of game. Jwala can analyse really well. If she says a shuttle will come here (at a particular spot), it will. And I’m ready for it. Is doubles a bit like marriage? Ashwini: You have to adjust to your partner, and you can’t always criticise what your partner does. Jwala: No, marriage is different. It’s different because you’re not just marrying a person, you’re marrying a family. In doubles – if she wants to do well, and I want to do well, then it will work. Do you have to make allowances for each other’s quirks? Ashwini: The cool part is that she talks so much on court, and I like listening to her, she’s very experienced, she knows what she’s saying. She doesn’t put me down. Do you carry your game back to your hotel rooms? Jwala: Sometimes you do. You have to think about it. We discuss it, but not so seriously. Right now our aim is to qualify for the Olympics. Ashwini: I’m looking forward to that. - badmintonmania@gmail.com
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August 2010
Kashyap: leap of faith The Hyderabadi has had an excellent season so far, and despite the first-round loss at the World Championships, has his sights set on the top-15
N
o Indian male had reached the last-four of a Super Series in the three years of its existence, so it was strange that few noticed that the unenvi-able sequence was broken in mid-July. Parupalli Kashyap is not surprised, though, because a more impressive drama was unfolding at the same tournament. Compatriot Saina Nehwal had made the final – which she would subsequently win – and everybody’s attention was on the stirring run of the then-world No.6. “I could’ve done with better (media) coverage,” admits the world No.26. “But all credit to Saina. She’s raised the bar for us, so much that even reaching the semis of a Super Series isn’t considered that great any more.” Following Saina’s exceptional run of three successive titles in July, and with a few
days to go for the Commonwealth Games, attention has turned on the Indian team. Kashyap, the No.2 in the squad behind world No.15 Chetan Anand, can be a threat to any top player. The Singapore Open semis was one of many big results Kashyap has returned this season. Ever since the All England – at which he was dumped out in qualifying – he has managed a series of excellent match wins, including one over the tough little Vietnamese world No.8, Nguyen Tien Minh. It all comes down to the hurt he felt at losing so early in the All England. “After the All England, I thought this wasn’t the way I had to play,” says Kashyap, world No.26. “I changed several things after I returned. I changed my weight training, and particularly, my medication.” Kashyap has suffered asthma since childhood, a condition that affects his training schedule as he has to accommodate extra endurance work. “I was wondering why, despite all the hard work, I wasn’t feeling okay. I went to a specialist in Mumbai and I was given some different medication, which seems to be working. I started putting more hours in practice, started working very hard, and have had consistent results since then.” After the All England in March, the 23year-old made the third round of the Asian Championships, lost two close battles to Indonesian maverick Taufik Hidayat at the Thomas Cup, and made two successive semifinals – the India Open and the Singapore Open Super Series. At the next event, the Indonesian Open Super Series, he came desperately close to beating Taufik in the first round. His battles against players of the calibre of top-ten players Taufik, Sony Dwi Kuncoro and Nguyen Tien Minh are indicative of a player who can match up to that level. “It’s about consistency. At the moment, I’m playing well against the top players because I’m playing freely, without pressure. I need more consistent results against players ranked between 25 and 30. The top-ten are able to beat lesser ranked players quite easily. I need to do that as well, not struggle against players between No.25 and 30. Perhaps it’s about playing freely against them as well. It’s taking time to adapt.
On Taufik Hidayat
H
e is my childhood hero, so when I played him for the first time, I was wondering, ‘What is this, I’m playing Taufik!’ When I won the first game, I was still wondering… He got more alert in the second game, and started pushing me around. He’s very effective with the drift. Game-wise and tactics-wise, he’s the best in the world, but fitness-wise, he’s a bit low. If he wants to win a point, he will. I lost to him three times this year, and all were very close.
“What makes the top-ten so good is that they work very hard day after day. I watched Nguyen at a Malaysian camp and he was working so hard every single day. There’s no secret. That’s my focus now. “I’m just so confident now, basically because of the results. Everything comes down to fitness, whether you can stand longer than your opponent.” Best matches this year: Thomas Cup league matches: lost to Taufik Hidayat 14-21 21-19 21-18; lost to Taufik Hidayat 21-12 10-21 21-17 Singapore Open SS: 2nd round: beat 8-Nguyen Tien Minh 23-21 21-18; 3rd rd: bt Arvind Bhat 21-17 21-16; Semis: lost to 7-Sony Dwi Kuncoro 21-19 22-20 Indonesia Open SS: 1st rd: lost to Taufik Hidayat 12-21 21-19 21-16 Asian Championships: 2nd rd: bt Tommy Sugiarto 21-14 21-16, lost to 20-Hu Yun 21-16 18-21 21-13
K
ashyap has to carry a lot of medicines whenever he travels. He’s allergic to curd (yoghurt), although he likes it He starts sneezing uncontrollably if he eats curd in the morning. As a child he used to suffer constantly from fever and cold. Even as a kid, he was serious about badminton. When he was training under Arif Sir, he would wake up at 3.30am because the training was at 4.30, and we lived 10km from the stadium. I had no problems in waking him up. He always used to get up by himself and get ready, although he was just nine. - Subhadra P, Kashyap’s mother
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GUTS - A Window into World Badminton
August 2010
More tournaments, please O
ver the last few years, several senior ranking tournaments were postponed or cancelled. But the biggest casualty this year was the Tata Open. Organisers reasoned that the non-availability of top players would affect their long-term relationship with their sponsors. With the BAI setting a minimum prize money of Rs 5 lakh, organisers felt sponsors deserved to have top players competing at the event. It’s ironical that, in a circuit with barely any tournaments, events have to be cancelled. The way out is simple – reduce the minimum prize money,
Y
es, there should be more national-level tournaments. Apart from the few top national players, there are many more who are toiling throughout the year. If there are only two to three All India tournaments throughout the year it will not be fair on these players. Tournaments need not be of (prize money)Rs.5 lakh, it can be of Rs.1 lakh too. This will not put pressure on sponsors or on top players and will enable a full-fledged domestic circuit. With more tournaments, public sector companies who have employed badminton players will get their visibility and will be able to justify their expenditure. There should be a circuit of three tournaments every two or three months. Each zone could have a small circuit, meaning there could be a North Zone circuit with a Rs.1 lakh tournament in Jaipur followed by a Rs.2 lakh tournament in Udaipur and followed by a Rs.5 lakh tournament in Delhi. This will make it easier for players to travel and will ensure maximum participation. The same can be done in West, East and South zones, keeping two months in between each. Top players can probably play in the Rs.5 lakh tournaments keeping in mind their international commitments.The year can end with a Grand Prix Finals based on points gathered in the tournaments that year; the Finals can have attractive prize money. NIKHIL KANETKAR, Olympian
or insist on player participation at a few domestic events at least.
With a hectic international calendar, it might not be possible for top players to guarantee their presence at domestic events. But that should work to the advantage of lower-ranked players. We need as many tournaments as possible at every level. There are more than a hundred players at a competitive level, and thousands of others in other categories. The biggest employers in badminton are public sector companies. Unless there are frequent tournaments, how will these companies remain interested in badminton? How will the next generation of badminton players
T
o bring in high level performance internationally, we should keep the elite players on the international circuit while we develop a good bunch of players through a strong domestic circuit. The second division players can take part in the national circuit and the best can be given a chance to compete in the smaller international tournaments. The national body should make it compulsory for every state association to conduct at least one national ranking tournament in all age groups every two years with some financial aid from the national body. For the time being it’s important that the BAI should take up the initiative to promote the game, as the game is becomeing more global. With the development of badminton in India, we will have a stream of players in the local circuit, like other countries ( China, Malaysia, etc). BAI should work hard with existing funds, and seek the help of the government and corporates to take the game to a higher level. SHIVAPRAKASH, Coach, White Peacock Academy
I
n India, badminton should have an equivalent of the ATP in tennis. Perhaps that is what the players should do: start conducting tournaments not under the aegis of the BAI which, ‘BAI’ the way, needs to get its act together. Why cannot the so-called ‘second string of players’ organise their own tournaments and then, with the co-operation of similar players’ associations from all states of the country, expand their reach? That is how cricket made it big
find jobs?
If a small district association like Bangalore North District can organise a senior ranking tournament, why can’t 25 odd strong state associations, between themselves, organise a minimum of 12 major and 12 minor tournaments in a year? The BWF has a variety of tournaments - Super Series, Gold Prix, Challenge series, etc. The BAI likewise should insist on each state association hosting either one senior or one junior All India ranking tournament. Incidentally, players are yet to receive their prize money won at the Bareilly tournament!
competitively. There are cricket tournaments in every nook and corner of the country – with or without the support of the associations. Nobody is complaining. Players are enjoying the competition, making a career and becoming rich. DIWAKAR, player
L
et’s talk about doers. Can Bangalore North District Badminton Association conduct more national level tournaments in and around Bangalore – big or small? Bangalore has a great badminton culture; players all over the country love to play in Bangalore. Can BNDBA start badminton clubs in all educational institutions (schools and colleges) and offer to coach, provide employment to not-so-fortunate players who are not reaching any star or national level? Maybe the BNDBA can garnish the training program with the presence of stars from time to time to inspire the trainees... this could turn out to provide many beneficial outcomes. S SRIDHAR, player
G
UTS has aptly taken up another good issue. I appreciate your efforts in this regard. Tata Open, a senior mega event, was cancelled very late due to non-availability of top-ranked players. In this direction, the organisers and the BAI officials totally ignore the second string of players who do not get an opportunity to test their ability in the absence of ranked players. At the Bangalore and Barelli tournaments a good number of top players opted out due to various reasons. In both cases we saw some junior/second-string players produce good results. Most of the matches were tightly contested and we have seen the rise of some junior players, like Saurabh Verma, Prajakta
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August 2010
Sawant, Arundhati Pantwane, Srikant, etc. Both tournaments produced good badminton. From this it’s clear that tournaments should not be cancelled for the non-participation of the so-called ‘top ranked’ players. Budding talents should get ample exposure to participate in bigger events. I hope more and more opportunities are provided. MELVIN MINOY, Grade I Umpire
I
t’s amazing that, even in this condition of state of affairs, India could produce a world no.2 player. It’s time for government officials to think of sports other than cricket. RAJA VISWANATH, player
F
irst of all, BAI has to focus to promote badminton all over the country – not only in selected cities but at the district and village level. They should stop the monopoly of some sponsors and throw it open. Encourage other companies to come forward and sponsor tournaments in different zones. There should be more tournaments at the junior and senior level in every state and at the all-India level. Surely India can produce more Padukones, Gopichands, Sainas, Prannoys etc. It is already proven through reality shows that, if the right opportunity is given, many talented stars come up from the nook and corners of the country. BOSE NINAN, coach
I
t’s all about money. If the top seeds are taken care off in all aspects and with attractive prize money, I’m sure they will play all the tournaments. BAI should insist that each player should play a certain number of tournaments of their choice. If they withdraw after entering the tournament, then strict disciplinary action should be taken -- such as not allowing them to participate in the next three tournaments, or witholding their entry for internationals tournaments, etc. till their domestic commitments are met. I’m reminded of China. A couple of months ago, when their domestic circuit was going on, they did not send any players for international tournaments…
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Saina Nehwal, Pullela Gopichand (right), BAI Secretary Punnaiah Chaudary and Vikram Dhar (CEO, Sunrise) at the inauguration of the Yonex Store at Gopichand Academy, Hyderabad
including the Super Series. If the Chinese can do it, why can’t we? A RAGHAVENDRA, parent
I
t’s an open fact that there are only a few tournaments for seniors. So, whether internationally-ranked players participate or not, tournaments have to be conducted. If the organisers and sponsors aim for established stars, there won’t be any second string of players. Take the example of international events like the Super Series. Even though the top Chinese stars avoided many tournaments, the organisers conducted tournaments and new stars were born. These wins will increase their confidence and they will start working harder. The press and people will recognize them and the sponsors will get mileage.
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Kashyap reads GUTS. Do you?
India started participating in international tournaments long before China, but China started ruling the badminton world. Later they even conducted the Olympics and came on top in the medals tally. What did they do? They set up scientific and systematic politics-free training centres all over their country to develop quality players to compete in international tournaments. We need tournaments no doubt, but we also need training centres for quality players to win medals in international tournaments. Conducting tournaments is easier than producing Olympic champions. We need to balance both. MJ MOHANACHANDRAN, Chief Coach RSC
BQ
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Answer to last edition's BQ:
Lee Chong Wei Winners: Sharon Raphael, Ananda MN, Siju, A Raghavendra
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GUTS - A Window into World Badminton
August 2010
Khel Ratna for Saina Nehwal… .... but raw deal for Diju, Jwala
decision to honour her with the award.
U
“I’m really happy. It’s unbelievable, a dream come true…national awards give
ntil five years ago, Indian players were reckoned to inhabit a netherworld of badminton. Compared to the recognition they enjoyed overseas, they received little acknowledgement in India. But these are different times, and Saina Nehwal is a different player. She has gone into territory that no Indian woman player has before, and attention has come with success. Television has brought her matches live into Indian homes, and her astonishing title victories have found admirers here. With the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna being awarded to the world No.2, the Hyderabadi has few awards left to win in India. The Rajiv Khel Ratna is among the top sporting honours in the country, and carries a scroll of honour and a medal, and Rs. 7.5 lakh in cash. A 15-member panel headed by former athlete PT Usha on Friday took a unanimous
you a lot of motivation and it definitely has inspired me to achieve bigger glories for my country,” Saina said. “I have done well in the last two years and the three titles that I won recently have really boosted my confidence.
Everything has happened quickly in my career. But it has been tough for me as well. Things will be different now as expectations will be high,” she said. Meanwhile, the Arjuna award continues to elude India’s other badminton achievers – V Diju and Jwala Gutta. The world No.7 mixed doubles pair had a dream year in 2009, ending the year in the top-ten – the first Indian pair in history to even approach that mark. They even reached the final of the prestigious Super Series Masters in December 2009. Apparently, their names had not been forwarded to the panel by the Badminton Association of India. Jwala told GUTS she hadn’t applied for the award and hence was not surprised. “I don’t think a sportsperson should apply for an award,” she said. “It feels like you’re asking for it. It’s up to the national federation to nominate you. I guess they thought we weren’t good enough. I’m almost indifferent to these things now.”
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