With the World Championships set to get under way in China on Monday, national coach Pullela Gopi Chand is happy with the Indian team’s preparation. He feels Saina Nehwal has a good chance to win the title.
“Indians have a great chance of doing well at the World Championships. We have prepared very well. It is good that we got about four to five weeks of practice and that should hold us in good stead,” he said on Friday.
Gopi Chand said Saina, who is India’s main hope, has got a good draw. “The draw is good but I always like to take it match by match. She is playing well but at an event like the World Championships, every player tries to give his best. Saina, for me, is capable of winning any title. She has done it in the past and is capable of doing that at any stage. But we will still take it match by match,” he added.
The coach said apart from Saina, the likes of Parupalli Kashyap, Ajay Jayaram and PV Sindhu all have good draws. “Even the doubles teams have good draws. If they pull off a couple of matches they have a chance,” he pointed out.
He said for the first time in history India have two players or teams in each of the categories. The conditions in China, according to Gopi Chand, will be different. “I know most of the time the courts are slow but as the spectator stands are far away from the courts, it will be good for us,” he said.