There is genuine reason to be optimistic about Indian shuttlers. Our contingent includes players who have tasted success at the top level. Had Parupalli Kashyap been fit, India could have sent all eight entries—the maximum permitted by IOC per country in badminton—instead of the seven players who have qualified. That most of them are contenders rather than just participants shows the kind of depth we have.
Talk on Indian badminton centres around Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu and the doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa. They have won medals in the Olympics, World Championships, Uber Cup and Asian Games (team). Competition among the men has also been intense. Other than Kashyap and Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy and Ajay Jayaram have made rapid strides in world rankings. Srikanth’s victory over Lin Dan at the China Open a couple of years ago was a watershed moment for Indian badminton.
Having participated in two Olympics representing another generation, I notice distinct signs of progress in our system. Individual commitment, hard work and sacrifices apart, we have benefited from changes in the process of producing players. Incentives are more in terms of money and exposure. Fitness levels are close to the best. This bunch is high on confidence, a key component that comes from doing well consistently against top players.
These results have had an impact on the collective psyche. We used to be in awe of the Chinese. With changes in the points system, fall in the quality of China’s production line, improvements in infrastructure and facilities in other countries, that sense of getting overwhelmed has waned. Led by Saina, our players have won enough to believe that they can take them on. Emerging as a force to reckon with on the world scene is a combination of all these factors.
While saying Pullela Gopichand deserves credit for the overall improvement would be unfair, it’s impossible to overlook the role he has played. We have seen what Saina has achieved, but to create an environment that produces a player of her calibre takes some doing. It’s not just about imparting skills. To have a system that churns out world-class players one after another requires a different kind of mindset, other than infrastructure with knowledge of the modern game and trends. Gopichand has played the part of a catalyst by getting all these under one roof.
Taking into account experience of beating good players, form, and the fact that China can’t send all top players because of the restriction on the number of entries from each country, I would expect at least one medal from our team. In the top 10 for about eight years, Saina is certainly the best bet. Having said that, others have also performed credibly in big events. This makes me hopeful of a second medal from badminton this time.
Aparna Popat was a participant in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics,a nine-time national singles champion and CWG silver medallist