HYDERABAD: His time had come. To bask in the glory of a triumphant homecoming after winning an international event. Earlier, grand welcomes were reserved for the likes of Saina Nehwal or PV Sindhu. Parupalli Kashyap would just watch his teammates receive bouquets and congratulations.
He used to believe his day would come. On Tuesday, drumbeats and bursting of crackers greeted the Commonwealth Games men’s singles gold medallist at the Shamshabad Airport and at the Pullela Gopichand Academy.
“It’s a nice feeling to come back with gold. All these years, I waited for my time. I’m happy there are so many well-wishers and I’m particularly delighted to see the happiness in my parents’ faces,” said Kashyap. “Till the last point, I was nervous and just wanted this gold. I knew I would get my big result. Now, I will get more,” he said.
The 27-year-old, who has got the monkey off his back, revealed how he is passionate about badminton. “I’m obsessed with the game. I feel uneasy if I don’t attend training sessions. I was aware of my ability but somehow, couldn’t cross the quarterfinals. I lost in the last eight in the Olympics, world championship and All England. Although I haven’t been consistent in the Super Series, I knew I could prove myself in these events.”
Before going to Glasgow, Kashyap had told his parents he was expecting the gold medal. “The semifinal was the toughest as Rajiv Ouseph is a tricky customer. Despite showing character, he ended up without a medal in the individual event. Some of the decisions were ridiculous but I had to pull it off.”
According to Kashyap, in such events, it is not about the ranking of the opponents. “It boils down to pressure. It’s about how to win. I was not at my best in the final, yet I managed to win.”
On his Sourav Ganguly act, Kashyap said it was a spontaneous reaction to remove his shirt. “I was very excited. Since I have been losing so many times, there was a lot of uncertainty till I won the last point. I could not believe it. I couldn’t control myself and felt my shirt had become heavy.”
Standing on the podium was something that he had been dreaming for many years. “The national anthem and the Tricolour made me emotional. When I saw myself on the big screen, I immediately updated Facebook. I wish I can repeat this show at the Olympics, worlds or Asian Games.”
Kashyap said coach Gopichand had a lot to do with his success. “I rely on Gopi sir’s inputs. Even a champion player like Lin Dan looks at his coach and gets inputs. Gopi sir knows the game inside out. I don’t believe there is any player who doesn’t require a coach. To win consistently, you need a coach. If I am in the top 20, it is because of him. I respect him a lot. He has never shouted at me. He understands me more than any other coach.”
According to Kashyap, having the former All England champion just outside the court made a lot of difference. “He had been in these situations so many times in his career. He faced so many obstacles. With that experience, he trains us and that matters a lot. He makes sure we have a very good back-up system with physios, masseurs and different types of trainers. All these have helped all the players to be consistent. When I lost in the worlds last year, he told me to better win next year because it could trouble me in my career. He also gave me a lot of space in my training methods. He is one of the important aspects in my victory. He is one of the best coaches in the world.”
Kashyap said it was important for him to win bronze in New Delhi four years ago. “Now I feel very happy that I could better it with a gold this time. I will make sure the celebrations will be short and quick. I will back to training, as the worlds and the Asian Games are much tougher events that follow immediately.”