CHENNAI: It was poetic that Anmol Kharb could take India to the finish line on Sunday.Soon after fetching the winning point, Anmol, who has been the story of Indian badminton in the last few days, could be seen making a dash towards national chief coach Pullela Gopichand and giving him a double high five. The other team members, including senior pro, PV Sindhu, and support staff were quick to flock to her and hold her aloft. It was a moment of unadulterated joy as the team tried to make sense of what they had just pulled off — a first-ever gold medal in the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC).
The 17-year-old Anmol had been summoned to action on the day with the gold-medal contest locked at 2-2 between India women and their Thailand counterparts in Shah Alam, Malaysia. As she did against China and Japan, the teenager delivered like a seasoned pro against Pornpicha Choeikeewong, beating her in straight games (21-14, 21-9) and helping the team achieve the unprecedented result.
"It is a big thing because history has been scripted here. Yesterday (after the semifinal win) it went crazy in India because beating powerhouses like Japan and China was such a big thing. Today (Sunday) it will be a full-on celebration in India and the team as well," Anmol told BATC channel.
It is a well-deserved celebration as they had also beaten giants like China and Japan along the way. Before Anmol's heroics, Sindhu and the doubles duo of Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly had made their presence felt to hand India a 2-0 lead. Ashmita Chaliha and the second combination of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra, however, had lost to let Thailand stay in the contest.
BAI's gamble pays off
The women's team's historical feat is a welcome tonic for Indian badminton. Several top international players had given this continental event a miss but India had their own doubts. There were questions over Sindhu, who was making a return after an injury break. The tricky proposition around her return and the lack of international experience with youngsters like Anmol and Tanvi Sharma made it even harder for the team.
However, this gold medal vindicates the Badminton Association of India's (BAI) decision to put faith in youngsters. "Many were questioning our team selection, asking us why we were picking youngsters. But we were thinking about the future. If the youngsters wouldn't have done well, it would have backfired and those doubters would be questioning us now," Sanjay Mishra, BAI general secretary, told this daily.
"When Sindhu is injured, we want other players to step up. That's our goal and we have been putting in programmes in place to help youngsters," he added.
BAI's idea is well thought out. There have been concerns as to who can emulate the likes of Saina Nehwal and Sindhu in the days to come. When Sindhu was absent during the India Open last month, there were no Indians in the women's singles main draw (the ones in the circuit could not make the cut). That's the reality BAI has taken cognisance of.
That is why they have been trying to stage more international events in the country and have also been looking to sponsor talented youngsters for international events. Mishra said BAI will be introducing more programmes (for coaches and shuttlers) so that they can have a bigger talent pool.
Going by BAI's philosophy, the team was intent on giving an opportunity to both Anmol and Tanvi. "We were thinking every match we would give a chance to Anmol and then to Tanvi Sharma. That was what we planned. Tanvi is also equally promising. But Anmol pulled it off against China and that was the first time we were beating them in the team championship," national coach U Vimal Kumar, who was primarily focussing on the men's team in Malaysia, said. "Subsequently, seeing her grit, we persisted with Anmol and she did not disappoint anybody. She was just brilliant," he added.
Vimal's words just highlight the buzz surrounding Anmol. The 17-year-old and the rest of the shuttlers, who are in contention for an Olympic berth, will be hoping to kick on from here.