For champion Marin, India is home away from home
BENGALURU: At one corner of the Karnataka Badminton Association courts, a recognisable face is doing what she does best — smashing shuttles. There are kids and parents waiting for autograph and selfies.
Carolina Marin is still in India though her team Pune 7 Aces had bowed out of the Premier Badminton League early.
The Spanish Olympic champion has chosen to stay back to train here, chiefly because she doesn’t have quality sparring partners back home.
She had picked two upcoming players Rahul Yadav and Siddharth Thakur. Marin had requested India’s chief coach Pullela Gopichand and former international Anup Sridhar, who coaches Siddharth, to let her train with them.
It is a routine Marin has been following for the last three years. Her off-season is spent in India when she plays PBL while also sharpening skills by practicing with Indian players.
“I have been here three years on a roll, but I take this opportunity to keep improving because this kind of sparring I don’t have in Spain,” Marin said in an interview. “There are so many good players to practice. I make the most of this opportunity.” Spending the New Year in India meant being away from family. “It is tough. PBL is when it is Christmas time. We are used to spending time with family during Christmas. I don’t know when I will go to my home town,” said Marin, who comes from Huelva.
Marin has developed a bond with Rahul and Siddharth, who have learnt from the three-time world champion. What touched them most is her humility.
“She is so honest and humble. While feeding the shuttles, there are times when I get it wrong but she is never angry. There are other senior players whom I have sparred with and they get angry if you don’t feed them properly. With Marin, she is always ‘take it easy, it’s fine, we all make mistakes.’ She is always fun. I don’t feel like I am training with an Olympic champion,” said Siddharth, one of India’s most promising players who trains at KBA under Sridhar. Marin called up to thank Anup. “She was very happy. She trained with twothree boys from my academy and picked Siddharth, who is fast and very fit,” said Anup.
Rahul played with Marin in Hyderabad Hunters last season. “I just came to help her. She has become a friend since we were in Hunters. This year, she went to Pune and her team lost early but she wanted to practice with me, so she called Gopi sir,” said Rahul, who has just started playing in the senior international circuit. “I learnt a lot from her like how to handle pressure situation, how should we prepare for match and practice session.”