Rising badminton star Tanisha needs support
dubai — Tanisha Crasto, a 15-yearold Dubai girl, has made such an impact in national junior badminton tournaments in India that she now hopes to follow in the footsteps of her heroes — Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth.
But Tanisha’s first hero is her father, Clifford Crasto — an avid sports fan who has dedicated his life to help Tanisha chase her badminton dreams.
Crasto accompanies her daughter every time she travels to India to play in junior tournaments — events where Tanisha’s progress has impressed top coaches.
Tanisha’s three doubles and mixed doubles gold medals in subjunior tournaments in Nagpur and Hyderabad made her India’s topranked under-17 doubles player and also earned her a place in the Indian team for the Asian Under 17 & Under 15 Badminton Championships (October 3-7) in Myanmar.
This is a phenomenal achievement for the grade 10 student of Indian High School.
But Crasto says it’s been a tough journey for them due to lack of sponsors.
“I have tried very hard to get sponsors for Tanisha. I have spoken to a lot of people in India, but so far nobody has helped,” Crasto told Khaleej Times in an interview.
“I have taken care of her travel expenses. But it hasn’t been easy. So even ticket sponsors will be great. But unfortunately in India, it’s very difficult to get sponsors for junior players. Even if you are among the best players in your age group in India, it’s difficult to get financial support,” he added.
Despite the rise of stars like Saina, Sindhu and Kidambi, the scene at junior level still hasn’t changed, according to Crasto.
“Thanks to Saina, Sindhu and Kidambi, badminton has become the second most popular sports in India after cricket. But some things have remained the same,” he said.
“I remember reading an interview of Aparna Popat, the 1998 Commonwealth Games silver medallist. You know she used to travel alone for international tournaments because she couldn’t afford a ticket for her coach,” Crasto said.
Next year, Tanisha will join the famous Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad.
“If she makes good progress in the academy, her coaches could nominate her name for sponsorship. I am very happy with the way her career has progressed. She will become an even better player in Gopichand’s academy,” he said.
For Tanisha, it’s going to be a great learning experience in Hyderabad.
“I can’t wait to train under Gopi Sir and all the world-class coaches in the academy,” Tanisha said.
“I am working really hard. I want to keep improving my game and my stamina to compete at the highest level.”
The achievements of Sindhu and Saina in the biggest tournaments have inspired Tanisha, who trains at Prime Star Badminton Academy in Dubai.
“Of course, I am a big fan. In fact, I got a chance to meet them all in Dubai last year,” she said.
“Their success has motivated me to chase my dreams. I want to represent India at the senior level in future and win medals in the biggest tournaments.”