Former men's national badminton champion Chetan Anand is aiming to use the Tata Open India International Challenge in progress here as the first step towards regaining top spot in the country after an ankle injury halted his career.
"I am not looking too far ahead. I got operated on my ankle for a growth that pained me when I jumped and landed and had tried to make comebacks without regaining full fitness. This is the first tournament where I feel fully fit. My fitness level is good," said 33-year-old Anand after crossing his first hurdle as the sixth seed in the tournament.
Anand, who won the national singles crown four times between 2004 and 2010, defeated Ketan Chahal 21-18 21-7 in 35 minutes today to enter the men's second round where he will meet Mohammed Afjan Rasheed tomorrow for a place in the quarterfinals.
The Hyderabad shuttler said he got injured at the peak of his game when his world ranking was 11.
"It was very frustrating. I tried to come back and played tournaments without recovering fully. I am currently focusing on this tournament, the senior nationals and then the Syed Modi Memorial Indian Grand Prix. I feel I can do well in these tournaments," said Anand.
Anand, who is employed with ONGC and was married to world championship bronze medal winning doubles player Jwala Gutta before they separated, has recently had a child from his second marriage and said he wants to spend more time with his family.
"My first aim is to make the semifinals of the Nationals. I don't feel I am 30-plus. I have learnt to stay positive. I will be concentrating on singles play only," said Anand.
He also said he would be taking regular breaks in between tournaments to spend time for training and fitness drills.
Asked how so many good men players have emerged in India, he credited the phenomenon to regular international exposure as well as to the new trend of coaches, physios travelling with the players.