India Badminton

Discussion in 'India Professional Players' started by limsy, Dec 13, 2009.

  1. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    No tomfoolery: A departure from the academy model

    Dev Sukumar
    May 14, 2012

    http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/05/14/no-tomfoolery-a-departure-from-the-academy-model/

    Excerpts:

    In what might set the trend for future training programmes of competitive players in India, six international players have joined senior coach Tom John at a club in Bangalore for professional training. The model is unique in the sense that it breaks away from the standard template of competitive players training at well-endowed academies run on the national camp model.

    Academies in India are run on a socialist template that was borrowed from the examples of the Asian powerhouses of the Seventies. They are usually built on land leased from government at minimal cost, and run through a combination of private funds and government money. Even when players are charged, the cost of training is subsidized, and most international players usually come up the ranks paying next to nothing. The academy caters to at least 20 competitive players of various age groups, and all the services the players need, such as coaches, physios and nutritionists, are provided by the academy. The Padukone Academy was the first to set this model – and although there have been some variations, the model has essentially remained the same.

    ...“I’ve worked for other academies in the past, and people have been saying I should start my own academy, and be able to do what I want to do,” says Tom, who has worked with the likes of Morten Frost and Yang Yang while he was in England. “I’ve always started at academies and things have gone well for a year, or year-and-a-half, and the owners have changed the parameters of what I had to do. I wanted to give time and energy to the players I choose to work with.”

    Ideally, says Tom, he’d like to have his own complex of eight or ten courts, but “you’re talking big money, and unless you have a big sponsor, that sort of thing is not possible.” This is therefore a ‘second-best option’.

    ...It will be interesting to see if Tom’s model is adopted by coaches who will offer a more personalized training programme at higher costs, and if there are takers. Players who want to excel, and can afford to pay between Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 a month, might well opt for this model, for it means being able to train away from other prying eyes, and to fashion a programme that suits them, besides of course having a lot more attention from their coach. It’s time badminton players followed the professional methods of their tennis-playing cousins.
     
  2. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    We can do it in Wembley: Gopichand

    Mid Day, July 16, 2012
    http://www.mid-day.com/sports/2012/jul/090712-We-can-do-it-in-Wembley-Gopichand.htm

    Excerpts:

    Former Olympian and national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand is hoping his team will perform well at the London Games and make up for his lack of ‘pleasant Olympic memories’.

    Gopichand lost to Indonesia’s Hendrawan 15-9, 15-4 in the pre-quarter-finals of the 2000 Sydney Games — the only Olympics he participated in. “I was very unhappy with the loss as I really wanted to win a medal. I was disheartened. So I do not have very pleasant Olympic memories,” said Gopichand, who won the All England Badminton championship in 2001.

    ...“The atmosphere at the Olympic village was phenomenal. The best of players across disciplines dine together. I got to meet Sergey Bubka and swimmer Michael Phelps at the games village. I got to spend five minutes with Bubka at the dining hall.

    “I took his autograph as I really admire him. It also is the only autograph I have taken till date of any sporting star.”
    Gopichand informed that Wembley Arena — the badminton venue at the Games is indeed a historic one for Indian badminton.

    Prakash Padukone brought glory to India at this very same venue in 1980, by winning the All England Open championship here.

    “This time around I have a small contingent with a medal potential. Wembley Arena is a historic venue where earlier the All England championship used to be held. Even Prakash sir (Padukone) won the prestigious All England title over here. I think we have medal chances in women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.”
     
    #122 cobalt, Jul 16, 2012
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2012
  3. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    For Diju and Jwala, mutual respect is the key

    TNN | Jul 15, 2012

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...l-respect-is-the-key/articleshow/14961411.cms

    Excerpts:

    "I don't like to put pressure on myself by thinking about our chances at the Games. It's a big event and everyone hopes to return home with a medal. We will work hard to not disappoint our fans and country," Diju told TOI at his residence in Ramanattukara, Kozhikode recently.

    ...Diju maintains that mutual respect, on and off court, keeps him and Jwala together. "We know our strengths and limitations. During the past six years, we have achieved a lot and that's because of our good rapport we share. Team sport is all about understanding. Individual ego has nothing to do with it," he said.

    ...Asked about the leading threats to India at the Games, Diju cannot look past Denmark and China. "Denmark and China are likely to sweep most of the medals in badminton. It's not surprising to see both these countries continue their domination year after year. They have built hundreds of indoor courts in the country and kids get used to training with advanced facilities. We need to have quality indoor courts to challenge such teams' supremacy at least in the future," warned Diju.

    ...The advanced training under Pullela Gopichand and Indonesian coach Edwin Iriawan has helped improve their techniques and strategies a lot, says Diju.

    "We have got all the modern facilities at Hyderabad. Edwin has been doing a commendable job and his coaching methods are very scientific which help us garner results at major events," said Diju.

    ...Engaged to Dr.Soumya of Vadakara, Kozhikode, Diju is all set to move away from 'single' status in life with the D-day set for September 16. With lady luck soon entering his life, Diju dreams of coming back from London with the biggest accomplishment in an athlete's life - an Olympic medal.
     
  4. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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  5. uselessmail

    uselessmail Regular Member

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    Man!!!! You sure are the biggest champion for India in this forum, I guess! Hats off to you mate!
     
  6. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    A Fascinating Read

    ..

    I've just finished reading a fascinating account of P Gopichand and his passion and vocation, his present life and what makes him tick.

    The full article is Very, Very recommended reading for anyone who is interested in the state of Indian badminton, then and now, and what it takes to bring awareness of this sport to the forefront in a cricket-crazy country. Excellent article!

    Inside Gopi’s world
    Aditya Iyer : Sun Aug 12 2012

    http://www.indianexpress.com/news/inside-gopis-world/987125/0

    Some excerpts:

    Like nails on a blackboard, two pairs of feet squeak on the glassy wooden floor. Fluttering towards the young girl, the shuttle drops without notice.

    ...Everyday, hundreds of mothers bring their anonymous young pawns to Gopi, hoping to turn them into queens.

    ...Built by one man’s singular and burning desire to succeed at all costs, the academy is not just India’s best state-of-the-art structure for excellence in this emerging racquet sport, it is the place where armies are assembled, worlds are conquered and redemption is salvaged. It is the former All-England champion’s finest achievement.

    ..Today, at Gachibowli, there stands a monolithic beast, large enough to hold two storeys of 15 rooms each for the boarders, the badminton hall and several modern sports shops beneath it. On one side, this academy is flanked by a Wimbledon green football field, and on the other, an Olympic blue swimming pool. But just yesterday, it was nothing but an impenetrably rocky Andhra terrain.

    ...For true excellence, Gopi believes a player needs three essentials—one coach, one centre, one facility. “The Santa Monica club in the US has one building and one track, and it constantly produces half-a-dozen of the world’s top athletes. It’s very important that these centres are professional, well funded, completely committed to a cause and have no external interference. Only that gets you results,” he says.

    Why not train abroad then, like several do? “I did. In Germany, Indonesia, Denmark and a few more countries. And in none of these places did they allow me to use their national training centres. In England they did, but the quality was poor—I was the best player out there. The ones who were good didn’t allow me to gain from them. Only if I was beneficial to somebody was I allowed in,” he says. “This made me realise that if I really wanted to beat the world, I had to have the programme in my own backyard.” If not in his time, the generation after.

    ...“I got Rs 3 crore for my home from the bank, Rs 2 crore from Nimmagadda Prasad, a family friend and a pharmaceutical giant. And the rest from a few sponsors. But I’m proud to say that I did not turn back to the corporates, or even the government for that matter, again,” he says. Despite the insults, what kept him ticking was his love for coaching. “Especially agile-minded children,” the 38-year-old says.

    The ‘children’, at that time, was a pre-teen kid called Saina Nehwal, a tenth grade student by the name of Parupalli Kashyap and a couple of ‘toddlers’—B Sai Praneeth and PV Sindhu. “I used to train them at a local stadium while the construction of the academy was happening side by side. Even if I wanted to give up everything and live a luxurious life as, say, a commentator or an analyst, I couldn’t. Not with such talent at a mouldable age,” Gopi says.

    ...Having entered the depths of depression following a tear to his anterior cruciate ligament in 1994, Gopi found solace in meditation and yoga. Few returned from a knee ligament tear back then, fewer still with a mind as polished as the Hyderabadi. ...“That injury was a blessing in disguise. It taught me to think, to read, to love,” says Gopi. “It showed me just how much I love badminton. And just how to persevere.”
     
  7. repentedboy

    repentedboy Regular Member

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    Still not good enough to challenge even Malaysia and weakened Indonesia.

    Their so-called talents are just a hearsay but never really show it on neither Super Series, Sudirman Cup and Thomas/Uber Cup.
     
  8. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    Bring the men in white coats in, please...
     
  9. repentedboy

    repentedboy Regular Member

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    For yourself :p
     
  10. rahuldarga

    rahuldarga Regular Member

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    Please refrain yourself from making scathing remarks if you haven't read the article. The article is about struggle for survival of Indian Badminton.

    From the article
     
    #130 rahuldarga, Aug 12, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2012
  11. rahuldarga

    rahuldarga Regular Member

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    Indeed a very well written article.

    My favorite parts from the article are

    Its a bit far fetched dream but still shows his whole family's passion to bring about a change and support badminton in a cricket crazy nation.

    I am reading the Gopi's Biography right now. I wish that book was written by this article's author. I read like 4 chapters and I feel someone with better pen skills should have written the book. I did not like the way its written. I am reading it only to know Gopi's life until now.

    Did you get the chance to read it?
     
  12. paroxysmal

    paroxysmal Regular Member

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    Nice article. I happened to read recently released Saina's biography, which I would say is 50% Gopi's and 50% Saina's biography. It also gives a good insight into Gopi's life and Indian Badminton scene.

    Olympics should do good to Indian Badminton in coming years.
     
  13. rajat_remar

    rajat_remar Regular Member

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    a good interview from former Indian player Aparna Popat

    http://www.sportstaronnet.com/stories/20120825506204200.htm

    Excerpts:

    Did Saina raise her own expectationsfollowing her showing in Beijing 2008, the wins against the Chinese and alsoher consistent performances in the international circuit in the lead-up to theOlympics?
    S
    hecertainly did. But all for the right reasons. You know everyone is talkingabout her being ‘lucky’ in the bronze medal play-off. By that parameter, weshould admit that she was a bit ‘unlucky’ to lose her quarter-final match in Beijing. She has been playingconsistently well since then. Maintaining a Top-5 ranking for three years iscommendable. Then there were the twin victories right before the Olympics. Ithink she was justified in dreaming of the gold.

    Clearly, four years from Beijingmeant that she was a far superior player and entered the LondonGames with an enhanced knowledge of the opposition, most importantly theChinese? In addition Gopi Chand’s presence also contributed a lot?
    Fouryears is a long time — especially at that age. She was 18 years old in Beijing with three titlesunder her belt and in London she was 22 with 12titles. Apart from gaining experience and maturity, she also improved herfitness and had more time to plan and prepare for these Games. And when youplay the Chinese, preparation is vital. Gopi Chand’s presence is of utmostimportance. He has been training Saina for many years now. He is her mentor. Henot only understands her and what she requires, but he is also cued intodifferent badminton situations as he himself has played at the highest level.
    Saina is 22 and has hinted at playing in a few more OlympicGames? Obviously, she is willing to be patient and surpass herself at futureOlympics?
    Yes.She aimed for gold in London, but came up short.So I am not surprised that she has set a goal to surpass the bronze medalperformance. Saina has the burning desire to be the best. If she retains herfitness and motivation and remains injury-free, she could have a go at anothermedal in 2016.
    What has distinguished Saina from her predecessors like you(Aparna Popat), Madhumita Bisht, Manjusha Kanwar (Pawangadkar), P.V.V. Lakshmiand Deepti Thanekar? There was so much talent?
    India has no dearth oftalent. What was lacking previously was proper preparation. This does not meanthat the players then did not work hard. Just that the approach to training wasunscientific. What was required was sustained, guided foreign exposure, notforeign trips. To make a top class player, support is required from allquarters; the government, federation, coach and his team of experts etc. Andabove all, they should work in unison with a common vision of making champions.As years have gone by, the facilities and systems for badminton have beensteadily improving. But the breakthrough, I feel, came around 2006 and hence weare seeing the fantastic results today. As far as Saina is concerned, I thinkdue to all the guidance and support, she is confident and better prepared totake on the best in the world. And of course, her work ethic has beenexemplary.
    Mark Spitz attributed his success to a strong competitor inDoug Russell and Michael Phelps has said training with a group of swimmers likeErik Vendt, Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay and Klete Keller pushed and motivatedhim. Perhaps this is a major lacunae in Indian individual sports... one greatplayer and the rest mediocre?
    Itis certainly a big advantage to have strong domestic competition and strongtraining partners. However, only a few countries have this luxury. Saina hasproved to us that this is not the only route to motivation and success.However, to produce several champions regularly, domestic competition is thekey.
    Kashyap too excelled... how tough is the men’s circuit incomparison with the women’s?
    Themen and women’s circuits are as different as it is in any other sport. The menare faster and more powerful, whereas the women’s game, in spite of the recentincrease in power and speed, involves more skill and court placements. Also,now with the new scoring pattern of 21 points, men and women play the sameamount of points and games.
    Kashyap played excellently at the Olympics. The Asians are much faster and morepowerful, but Kashyap’s fitness is laudable. Also what stood out for me was thefact that though he did not have much time to prepare for the Games as hequalified really late, he played great. Amongst the four badminton disciplinesin which India qualified, the leasthype was around the men’s singles. It was heartening to see Kashyap play withso much focus and self-belief.
    Jwala and Ashwini… they won two rounds, but lost the opening match… maybe they were a bit unlucky?
    Ithink Jwala and Ashwini were outstanding. Yes, they lost the first match. Butthey were up against the No. 4 seeds there. Not only was that their first matchof the tournament, but also the toughest one in their group. Yes, I think itwas a bit unlucky that they did not make it to the quarters after thedisqualification of the four pairs, but all in all, I think they have a lot ofpositives to take away from the Games.
    Your thoughts on the matches being given away by the Chinese,South Korean and Indonesian pairs and the subsequent decision to throw them outof the Games ?
    Lookingat it from the view of the spectators and the sport in general, the way thematches were played was unethical and was bad advertisement for badminton. Fromthe players’ point of view, it could have been a part of strategy as we have toadmit that all the players were at the Games to win a medal and if they had achance to play weaker opponents, they would exploit that.
    Correctiveaction was required on the part of the officials, but I would have expected thedecision (being banned from the games) to be carried over to anothertournament. The Olympics comes once in four years and every player dreams ofwinning a medal here. For that they have toiled their entire lives. To takesuch a radical decision at this event with no prior warning was unfortunate. Ireally feel for those disqualified players.

     
    #133 rajat_remar, Aug 16, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 16, 2012
  14. Justin L

    Justin L Regular Member

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    I believe with men like Gopichand, Indian badminton will go far,it's a matter of time. As it is, India has produced some world class players in Saina, Kashyap, Jwala and Ponnappa,just to name a few.
     
  15. SibugiChai

    SibugiChai Regular Member

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    She did mention khasay... He did play well
     
  16. depleter

    depleter Regular Member

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    [h=1]IPL-style badminton league in February: BAI chief[/h]




    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/badminton/IPL-style-badminton-league-in-February-BAI-chief/articleshow/16661447.cms

     
  17. rajat_remar

    rajat_remar Regular Member

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  18. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    National badminton coach Gopichand is expanding academy, aiming for more Sainas

    M Ratnakar, TNN Oct 10, 2012
    http://articles.timesofindia.indiat...tional-badminton-coach-p-gopi-chand-pv-sindhu

    Excerpts:

    National badminton coach P Gopi Chand is staying in a rented place and not in his own swanky residence at the foot of a picturesque hillock. That's his way to ensure that he remains in close proximity to his academy and students.

    ..."After Saina won the bronze at Olympics I felt I accomplished my job. But soon I realized that I am hungry to do more for the sport I love. I want to continue till 2016 Rio and may be beyond.

    But it is for BAI ( Badminton Association of India) to decide whether I should stay or go," he said.

    It will be difficult to find a stronger candidate than him at this point. The 2001 All England champion has shaped the careers of Saina Nehwal, P Kashyap and PV Sindhu.

    ...Two Indonesian junior coaches - Andika and Danu - have joined his academy recently.

    Gopi is expanding his academy as he finds that the existing facility is unable to cater to the needs of growing number of budding shuttlers.

    Another six-court indoor structure, a stone's throw from the present academy, will be functional by April. Besides, his second academy in Gwalior will be ready by December.

    ..."Producing Saina-type players is no easy task. Except China, even countries with rich badminton history like Indonesia, Malaysia and Denmark have failed to churn out top-class talent regularly.

    But we have great talent in both men and women who have been troubling the best in the world.

    "Wait for another six months, you can except some great results from men too. Even now they have the ability to upset all the top ranked players.

    We have seen that at the China Open where we had three men in the quarterfinals. That's no mean feat. I am expecting more big results from men."
     
  19. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    More Gopichand-like academies need of the hour, says former player

    Press Trust of India
    Last updated on Saturday, 13 October 2012
    http://sports.ndtv.com/othersports/...academies-need-of-the-hour-says-former-player

    Excerpts:

    Mumbai: Praising the badminton academy run by former All England champion Pullela Gopichand in Hyderabad, former international shuttler Uday Pawar on Saturday called for more such well-supported academies to be set up in other parts of the country.

    ..."From the days of Nandu Natekar and Suresh Goel we have been known for our skilful and deceptive wristy play. Indonesian great Rudy Hartono revolutionised the game with his half smash, smash and jump smash before the Chinese took the game to another level with their speed and power," noted the former four-time men's doubles national champion.

    "We may be very skillful but to match the Chinese, we need to be at least 85 per cent as fit as they are," said Pawar, who had turned to coaching after his playing days during which he had represented the country in Asian Games and Thomas Cup.
     
  20. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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