HYDERABAD: The junior (under-19) Asian badminton championship at Lucknow, that concluded on Saturday, provided enough indication that India is making rapid strides in this game along with other nations like China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.
Sameer Verma’s performance is noteworthy. That apart there were two more Indians (Pratul Joshi and K Srikanth) in the last eight stage. India had as many as three players in the quarter-finals in contrast to China’s two. Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia had one each. Then there was 16-year-old PV Sindhu, who reached the semifinals in the women’s section.
Chief coach Pulella Gopichand is obviously delighted with India’s show. “I think it is very, very promising. If you look at the results, out of the eight quarter-finalists, there were three Indians, more than any other country. Overall, in the team championship we got a bronze which is for the first time. This augurs well for badminton in the country,” said Gopichand.
Prakash Padukone’s historic triumph at the 1981 All England Championship or Gopichand’s show in the 2001 championship may not have given a significant boost to the game, but Saina Nehwal’s super performances have been an inspiration to the younger generation. Good days are ahead for badminton. “I think the improvement is significant. It is a new kind of challenge. Saina has brought new enthusiasm among the younger lot. The junior crop is looking good. About 12 to 13 players are playing well and have the potential to break into the top bracket of the international level. Planning and coaching is very important,” said Gopichand.
But as former chief national coach Syed Mohammad Arif said the junior players have always been good in our country but once they reach the senior level, they fade away. “There are instances in the past where our junior players have done exceedingly well but after that it has always been a slow progress while compared to the players from China, Indonesia or Malaysia. It is therefore important, that there is more thrust in coaching and planning so that these players can be a force to reckon with at the senior level,” said Arif.
Gopichand said there is more awareness among the junior players. “The facilities have improved and the junior players have shown the urgency in their work. But what we need is more support from the system. We require more competition and facilities. This will give a competitive edge to the game,” he pointed out.
Sanjay Sharma, the former international, said the focus should be on the youth. “We are entering the crucial phase of the game. For the first time, there is something to cheer about, at least in the singles. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) should take 20 players between the age group of 16 to 19 years and groom for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics. It is all about systematic planning,” he said.
Sharma said India have good singles players but the lack of good doubles players is something that needs to be addressed. “The BAI have to spot a few doubles players and give them specialised training,” he said.
Sharma did not agree with the idea of inviting foreign coaches. “I don’t believe in the concept of foreign coaches. I think we have some good Indian coaches. Gopichand is doing a fine job. What we need is to select good coaches and give them incentives,” he said.
Sharma added that the BAI should have good bench strength at the junior level. “In the next few years, senior players like Arvind Bhat, Chetan Anand, Anup Sridhar, Sanave Thomas, Rupesh Kumar will make way for the juniors who have to be ready to take up the challenge,” he said.
Gopi said players like Saipraneeth, HS Pranoy, Gurusai Dutt have been coming up well. “I hope many players follow in Saina’s footsteps. We have been doing great in the past few years. We did well in junior Asian championship. We had two Indians — Saipraneeth and Pranoy — in the world junior semifinals. It has been a consistently good performance,” he concluded.
