Difficult roads will lead you to beautiful destinations
Badminton star Jwala Gutta tells her younger self to use criticism positively to snub critics
Dear me LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF
Dear 11-year-old Jwala, You are angry, you’re hurt. You didn’t expect this from a top player who is respected in Hyderabad’s badminton circle. You expected it to be a great learning experience after your father approached the shuttler to spar with you.
You had never thought he would laugh on your face on first seeing how you hold the racquet. Worse, he would state point blank that ‘you’re not made for badminton’. That will hit you very badly. Such a comment from a ‘veteran’ will not be easy to digest. But you will not tell your father what happened. You will instead shut yourself in your room.
As you analyse, you will recall that when you first held the badminton racquet, you were just three. The coaches had turned you away because you were too young. They had instead advised your parents to put you in swimming and gymnastics which would prepare you physically.
Sport was always going to be your calling. The day you were born, your father apparently made it clear that sport won’t be a hobby. So, your training was designed with a professional touch. These thoughts lift you. You tell yourself the rude comments are just someone’s opinion. Opinion that will actually fire you up. You will want to prove him wrong. You will vow to keep this incident to yourself forever.
The battles will be tougher, your coach SM Arif will warn. Your peers refusing to practice with you because they now think you are a threat will just be one of them. But you will dig deep, stay calm and focused. No matter how painful the experiences, you won’t shed a tear either. All this was preparing you to take on the world. You always told yourself: difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.
Your progress to the Indian women’s team will be a breeze. You would be 15 then. You will also be primed to achieve some historic feats. Such as being the first for India to win the doubles gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. You will also be part of the first Indian doubles pair to win a medal at the World Championship in London.
As you soar, remember you will have to absorb your share of criticism. It comes with success. You will be labelled a cribber for speaking out. But then, you have faced criticism since you were 11. So, it doesn’t affect you. All that worked for you was the belief your parents had in you. And the fact that they taught you to stand up for your rights. Both will take you far. Loads of love, Jwala Gutta