JAKARTA : The Busan Asian Games in 2002 was supposed to be Pullela Gopichand’s graduation exam.
Against all odds, the 27-year-old had triumphed a year earlier at All England Championships, one of the toughest events the sport has to offer. But he was still an outsider for the wider badminton community. The 10th seed may have set Birmingham on fire for five nights in March 2001, but to prove that he could dance with lions, he had to repeat his heroics against the likes of Xia Xuanze (Sydney bronze medallist), Taufik Hidayat (Asian champion), Hendrawan (Sydney silver medallist), Chen Hong (Worlds bronze in 2001) & Co.
It was going to be a tough ask, but the fraternity believed that Gopichand had a fair chance. “He is hardworking and confident of himself, and I am sure that if he plays his normal game, there is no reason as to why he will not win a medal at this Asian Games,” former India player Leroy D’Sa had said then.
Syed Modi’s bronze medal effort at the 1982 Games in New Delhi was the only one for Indian badminton at this level. That record, many felt, would be emulated. It was in this backdrop that the Hyderabadi prepared to travel to South Korea.
While a few fans willingly embraced Gopi-mania, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Badminton Association of India (BAI) had other plans. Except for Abhinn Shyam Gupta (another singles player) and Gopichand, nobody travelled with the team. No coach. No physio. No trainer. No sparring partner. Nada.
India’s current badminton coach picks up the story. “The team wasn’t cleared for some strange reason,” he says. “I was the last person to be cleared for that Games.”
While every other team had at least one coach or support staff, Gopichand and Gupta were left to fend for themselves. The story, however, gets more surreal. Ashish Chadha, a reporter who had gone to cover the event, went to watch Gopichand’s train one day. One thing led to another and Gopichand had no option but to rope in Chadha, who had dabbled in badminton at school level, as his hitting partner.“When I went to meet Gopichand, he requested me to practice with him, as he had zero options,” Chadha recollects. “I was shocked before I agreed to his request. Not only during practice, I also had to double up as his coach on the sidelines.”
It’s 16 years removed, but the national coach still has a touch of sadness associated with the whole affair. “I went down in the quarterfinals. Had I won that match, I would have returned home with a medal.” It’s fair to say that much water has now flown under the bridge. Badminton courts in India are now as revered as cathedrals. Throw in the support the sport now gets, and it’s no wonder that it frequently occupies the front and back pages of the country’s major newspapers.“Things have changed a lot between then and now,” the Arjuna Awardee points out. “Today, there is support from Sports Authority of India (SAI), IOA and BAI. I am very happy with the respect the sport gets.”
Forget respect, fans genuflect before the team like they are a ‘60s rock band.
One thing, however, still remains a distant dream: an Asiad singles medal. Modi’s feat in 1982 still hasn’t been matched or bettered. And, that’s a record the national coach hopes to correct.“Even though this has been a tough year for us, we hope to come back with medals and moments to celebrate.” The latter will be extra special for the Gopichand family if the women’s team comes back with one, like they did in 2014. This time, Gayatri, Gopichand’s daughter, is also a part of the squad. Was it strange selecting her, while inviting accusations of nepotism? The 44-year-old evades that question but says that pressure will be on Gayatri to perform. “Of course, there will be pressure on Gayatri. But only time will tell how things will pan out... so far, so good.”In 2002, he had nobody. How things change in 16 years.
swaroop@newindianexpress.com