‘Transition to senior level tough’
NEW DELHI: We often see youngsters, irrespective of the sport they play, making headlines at the junior level but failing to create the same kind of impact at the senior level.
Tennis player Yuki Bhambri, for example, was a junior world No 1 and won the 2009 Australian Open boys’ singles title but has not been able to emulate the performance at the senior level.
Cricketer Unmukt Chand, who led India to the
2012 U-19 World Cup title, scored a famous century in the final, but is yet to make his debut in the senior team.
At the same time, there are players like Saina Nehwal and Virat Kohli who not just lived up to their potential but achieved suc- cess of great magnitude at the senior level.
While Olympic bronze medallist Saina is the only Indian to win a World Junior Championship in badminton, Kohli led India to the ICC U-19 World Cup triumph — both victories coming in 2008. And what they have achieved consequently is household knowledge.
So, for the likes of former junior world No 1 Lakshya Sen, 2015 World Junior Championships runner-up Siril Verma, Ashmita Chaliha, India junior No 1 Akarshi Kashyap and the ilk, the ride won’t be easy as they embark on the
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journey to the senior level.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap said “real hard work” begins when players make the transition from junior to senior level.
PROMISING JUNIORS
“There are a couple of promising juniors. Siril was the World Juniors runner-up. He, Aditya Joshi, Lakshya were world No 1 in juniors. It’ll be interesting to see how they come up as they’ll have to work hard after crossing the junior level. The hard work starts now for a couple of years; to push themselves and be focused to reach higher levels,” said the former world No.6.
The 31-year-old says that unless the youngsters start closing the gap between the Saina Nehwal (women’s singles) in 2008 Silver for HS Prannoy (men’s singles) in 2010 PV Sindhu (women’s singles) in 2012 junior and senior level, they won’t be able to emulate the likes of Saina or PV Sindhu.
“Everyone will now compare the girls to Saina and Sindhu and the guys to Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy and me. It’s not going to be easy. What we achieved was remarkable. Saina was winning Superseries events in 2009 at 19! It is possible for the youngsters, they have the game but they have to work really hard. Work is everything.”
However, Badminton Association of India (BAI) officials are optimistic about the new generation of shuttlers coming through the ranks.
Following the conclusion of two All India Senior Ranking events i n Bangalore and Hyderabad recently, BAI secretary general Ajay Singhania said that “the way the young players have performed shows that they are ready to graduate to the next level”.
GETTING OPPORTUNITY
And keeping their word, many juniors were included in India’s 2018 Asian Games squad. Sai Uttejitha Rao, Ashmita Chahliha, Aakarshi Kashyap and Gayathri Gopichand, who is the daughter of chief national coach and former All England winner Pullela Gopichand, among others will be looking to make a mark in Indonesia come August.
DOMESTIC GAINS
BAI secretary Omar Rashid feels the upcoming juniors are already matching their senior counterparts in the domestic circuit.
“Sai Uttejitha Rao, Ashmita Chaliha, Gayathri Gopichand, India junior No.1 Akarshi Kashyap are really doing well. Ashmita, a junior, won the senior national ranking event in Hyderabad and Gayathri reached the semis.
“Then in Under-15 and Under-17, Samiya Farooqui is making a big mark. She was last year’s U-15 Asian Junior champion. These girls are the next Sindhus and Sainas. Another two-three years and they will be right up there,” said Rashid.