
CHENNAI: It was a Nationals Games to remember for shuttler Sathish Kumar Karunakaran.
Living up to his billing, the shuttler from Tamil Nadu, who has exhibited signs of challenging podium finishes at the top level in the future, was the standout shuttler in Dehradun with twin titles — men's singles and mixed doubles, while partnering Aadya Variyath.
It was a momentous occasion for his family as well as they were there to witness him weave the magic with the racquet. "We were well-prepared before the tournament. We also had a camp that was organised by the state association. I'm happy with the manner we played throughout the campaign," Sathish told this daily.
In the men's singles, the World No 48 proved to be too strong for Suryaksh Rawat of Uttarakhand. "He's (Rawat) also very talented. I was being patient and waiting for my opportunities to come. I didn't rush unnecessarily and waited for the right moments to attack and that worked well," Sathish, who recorded a 21-17, 21-17 victory, said. Anmol Kharb, meanwhile, beat top seed Anupama Upadhyaya 21-16, 22-20 to pocket the women's singles crown.
Earlier in the day, Sathish and Aadya had pocketed the mixed doubles title after beating No 2 seeds Deep Rambhiya and Akshaya Warang 21-11, 20-22, 21-8.
Sathish and Aadya's, who are No 33 in the world, rich returns is not a surprise as they have been making gradual progress at the international circuit. They featured at the India Open and the Malaysia Open and are expected to take part in the upcoming All England Championships. They are still in the learning phase (at the elite level) and Sathish is well-aware of the tough road ahead. "It is very challenging. We are also getting there (top level) slowly. We are working a lot more on strength (both mental and physical) to compete against the players from the highest level. We are much better than last year as we only started playing together since last year. After every tournament there's something that we need to work on. After every match (win or loss), we sit down and have a chat (discuss the positives and drawbacks)," he assessed.
The fact that Sathish will be taking part in the upcoming Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships, which is due to be in Qingdao, China from February 11-16, for the first time is a clear indicator of his and Aadya's growth in the last 12 months or so. "I'm really excited to be part of the team (Asian C'ships) and looking forward to doing my bit," Sathish said.
The 23-year-old's rise is also due to him shifting training base to Malaysia. Thanks to the GoSports Foundation, he has a dedicated team who ensures that his needs are met. "I have a strong team. I have a trainer, a nutritionist and they're satisfied with the way my has been managing the load of playing both the disciplines. They're happy with my recovery process. I talk to them every day and they give me a programme. They tell me what I need to do, what I need to eat. Even though I had long matches, I was able to sleep well and recover well."
Sathish has no time to celebrate his success as he'll be departing for Guwahati on Wednesday for a preparatory camp ahead of the aforementioned continental meet.