‘Indian juniors losing close ties as competition very tough in Asia’
NEW DELHI: Indian shuttlers exited the mixed team event of the Badminton Asia Junior Championships at the quarterfinal stage recently in Jakarta. The finish, in a way, displayed the position of Indian juniors at the international stage.
While India thrashed minnows Kazakhstan and Sri Lanka 5-0 in their opening group ties, they went down 1-4 to South Korea before qualifying for the quarter-finals. India did not lose a single game, let alone a match, against Kazakhstan and Sri Lanka but went down in all but one contests to South Korea.
Then in the quarter-finals India lost 1-3 to eventual runners-up Japan. Junior world No 9 Lakshya Sen was the only bright spot in India’s last two ties, winning both his boys’ singles matches.
Lakshya continued his fine run in the individual competition to clinch the singles titles becoming only the third Indian after Gautam Thakkar (1965) and PV Sindhu (2012) to win the Badminton Asia Junior Championships.
REALITY CHECK
So, where does India stand among the best in the world in junior badminton?
“These guys are losing very close matches to some of the top players in Asia in the junior circuit. It was always going to be that way considering that the competition in Asia is very tough. The best players are here in Asia, in countries like Japan, South Korea and China,” said two-time former national champion Sayali Gokhale.
The Chinese have been the most dominant, senior or junior, at the world and Asian levels for years. If you get past the Chinese then there are the Indonesians, Japanese, Malaysians and South Koreans who all have strong domestic bases in the sport.
India have never won the team event at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships.
“The current crop, the top players including Lakshya Sen, Kiran George, Priyanshu Rajawat... are giving them (other Asians) a good fight. I think the boys are doing much better compared to the girls at the moment but you never know (about the future),” said Sayali, who retired in April 2016.
However, the 31-year-old Sayali, who now coaches at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) in Bangalore, is confident that the junior players of today will be able to rise and match the achievements of Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth in time to come.
“Ideally our intention should be to make or have more of Sainas, Sindhus and Srikanths. I am sure the way they are playing, they will make it to the top level. The top three-four players among the boys... Lakshya, Kiran and Priyanshu have been very impressive in the way they have been playing,” said Sayali, who won the women’s singles and women’s team gold medals at the 2010 South Asian Games in Dhaka.
“And then among the girls, (world No.11) Aakarshi Kashyap and Gayatri Gopichand (daughter of chief national coach Pullela Gopichand) have been making quite a mark.
“Both are bright talents and are expected to do well. Then there are a few more good girls who play well but have lost out on very close matches to others in the Asian circuit. This crop of players is going to be the next one that will do well in the international circuit.
“Meiraba Luwang is also doing quite well and is also quite a strong candidate who can go forward,” concluded Sayali.
› The current crop, the top players including Lakshya Sen, Kiran George, Priyanshu Rajawat... at times these 34 boys are giving other Asians a good fight. SAYALI GOKHALE, Former national champion and coach