A golden feather in Arjun’s cap

Kochi shuttler Arjun M R was part of the team that beat favourites Indonesia and lifted the Thomas Cup on Sunday.
A golden feather in Arjun’s cap

KOCHI: When he took his son along with him to the Udyogamandal badminton club one day, N Ramachandran did not imagine even in his wildest dreams that the seven-year-old would represent India in the sport. But Arjun M R achieved that, went on and did the country proud on Sunday by winning the Thomas Cup by beating favourites Indonesia.

“He always had the zeal,” said Ramachandran, who works as a deputy manager at FACT’s ammonia plant in Udyogamandal. “I used to play the game at the Udyogamandal club and decided to take him along on one of the days during vacation. He played a bit and showed eagerness to learn the game,” said Ramachandran.

Arjun made it to the sub-junior level soon and later represented the Ernakulam district. “He played for the state at 13,” said Arjun’s father. He later joined the Rajiv Gandhi Regional Sports Centre at Kadavanthra.
“Arjun has always been dedicated and disciplined,” said Ramachandran. “He used to take the boy daily from Cheranelloor to Kadavanthra, but later took a house near the sports centre on rent,” he said.

Arjun later joined the Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad. “From then, he became his own master,” said Arjun’s father. In addition to winning more than 25 titles at the national level, the 25-year-old also did well consistently in academics.

“He was a bright student. He scored 98% marks in the SSLC examination. For Plus-Two and BCom, he got 90% and 80%, respectively,” said Ramachandran, who also appreciated the role played by Arjun’s mother Sujatha.

Ramchandran also thanked Arjun’s teachers at the Sacred Heart College, Thevara for helping his son complete degree course. “All his teachers including Fr Prasant Palakkappillil have been very supportive. Arjun used to come down from Hyderabad on the day of the examination, write it and then go back in the evening,” he added.

Arjun’s hard work both in his studies and the game paid off. “He got a job in the Indian Oil Corporation as an officer. This will help him live his dream of playing badminton without any hindrance,” said Ramachandran.

Arjun won eight titles in the Badminton World Federation International Challenges and finished runner-up five times from 2016 to 2022. In the early days, he was paired with Ramchandran Shlok in the doubles and later with Dhruv Kapila.

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