The new Sports Authority of India-Gopichand National Badminton Academy is located inconspicuously in a residential colony in Gachibowli, a suburb of Hyderabad. Although not as sprawling as the old Gopichand Academy, the senior Indian men’s and women’s team as well as young players selected for the junior national camp train here.
Inside, senior players including P.V. Sindhu and P. Kashyap are on the front courts. Coach Mulyo Handoyo from Indonesia keeps a sharp eye on them. Coming back from an injury, Kashyap is focused on his sparring session with three partners across the net—fellow player H.S. Prannoy, assistant coach Heriawan and chief national coach Pullela Gopichand.
The training sessions are longer than what they used to be. However, since March, the morning sessions start at 8am instead of 5:30am, but they go on till lunch. And, there is more focus on the fitness front.
K. Srikanth is back from a short break with his family after his back-to-back victories in the Australian Open and the Indonesian Open. Srikanth, Sindhu and B. Sai Praneeth are training for the World Championships to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from August 21.
Badminton in India is experiencing a new spring. For generations, India has rested its hopes on one individual player—Prakash Padukone, U. Vimal Kumar, Gopichand, Saina Nehwal or Sindhu—to bring it glory. Till recently, it was unimaginable to think of an all-Indian final in a Superseries event. This year, it has happened twice, at the Singapore Open and the US Open.
Since the Rio Olympics in 2016, the performance of Indian men in Superseries events has been creditable. They won four titles, finished second twice and had at least one player in the quarterfinals of all the tournaments. Indian men are now being looked upon as serious contenders, with six of them figuring in the top 50 of world rankings. Four of them—Srikanth, Praneeth, Ajay Jayaram and Sameer Verma—are all set to take part in the world championships.
Indian players are no longer looking at occasional upset wins. This year, they have won against world number one Son Wan-ho, number two Lee Chong Wei, number three Viktor Axelsen and Olympic champion Chen Long. Said Sai Praneeth, who took Chen Long down in the Singapore Open, “If you beat a top player, your confidence goes up. Earlier, it was all about giving your best against top players. Now, we think of winning.”
Prannoy came to Hyderabad from Thiruvananthapuram eight years ago after convincing his parents to give him two years to prove himself. “There are a couple of things to keep in mind during big matches,” he said. “You always need to be extra focused on the first ten points. Against Chen Long, it was about holding 10-10 or 12-12 in the third game, and I knew I would be there to get that match. It is the belief that if it is a good day, you are good enough to beat anyone,” said Prannoy.
Fitness is another key element. Praneeth said it was not easy. “But we are training hard. If I am fit, I can play my opponents with my strokes. Those who do not have strokes have to be physically very fit. If I have the strokes and if I am fit, it is an extra thing for me. Earlier, after playing three matches in a row, I used to get a little worried, thinking what if I get tired. Now, I no longer get that thought,” he said. He credited the training sessions held in February and March for the improved fitness levels. “We used to do short sessions before, now we are doing long sessions,” he said. “We are spending more time on court continuously.”
The arrival of Handoyo, who had earlier coached former world number one Taufik Hidayat, has made a crucial difference. Training sessions have been extended, and there are team plans and individual plans. Handoyo, who stays in a nearby apartment in Gachibowli, is quite impressed with his Indian wards. “Each one of them is very committed,” said Handoyo, who does not speak much English. He has been a great support to Gopichand. “Now we have five-six coaches. Earlier it used to be only Gopi sir. We cannot blame him, but it was difficult. Today, we have sessions with different coaches, including him,” said Praneeth.
A healthy competition is brewing. The boys, who have grown up together at the Gopichand Academy, know each other’s game well. Kashyap, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, had been missing from action last year because of injuries. He is now back. “I want to win tournaments. I am capable of it,” he said. “I have reached so many semifinals in Superseries events. My best is yet to come. The current group of boys have set the standards really high. Only winning matters. If you want to win tournaments consistently, you need an all round game—fitness, strokes, power.” Kashyap is working hard, keeping in mind the 2018 Commonwealth Games. “I want to defend my medal. But it will be a tough task. This year, I am looking at a top 20-30 finish.”
The soft-spoken Prannoy, who Gopichand thinks has got everything to be a big champion, spoke about the healthy competition in the squad. “There is a big competition for places in big events, which is really good. Each session, you are pushing yourself and you can feel the difference.” Gopichand’s confidence in the talent he has unearthed and shaped is immense, although he seemed a bit worried about Prannoy. “In my mind, he is one of the best players in the world,” said Gopichand. “Sooner or later, he will realise that. It is only a matter of time.” Prannoy proved his coach right by winning the US Open Grand Prix on July 23, defeating Kashyap in three sets.
With performances, expectations also increase. The World Championships will be a far more difficult challenge than any Superseries event as top players will bring their ‘A’ games. “The big tournaments are different. Top players play differently in those events,” said Praneeth. “We have, however, a good chance to bring home medals.”
