Gopichand: ‘This is the real World Cup…proud of team’

THE MOST heartening facet of India’s Thomas Cup workforce right this moment was watching Chirag Shetty-Satwiksairaj Rankireddy beat Mohammad Ahsan-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo. All the earlier occasions that our boys have confronted Kevin Sanjaya, they’ve misplaced 11-0. It was as people. Today, they’d Team India backing their efforts, planning and rooting for them. It makes a distinction, and this was a primary the place India performed as a unit. Earlier, if Saina was enjoying, Sindhu wouldn’t be there. And if Sindhu performed, Saina wasn’t round. If the doubles workforce performed, the singles gamers weren’t actually invested. This was really Team India’s victory and I used to be so glad that Satwik-Chirag gave it again to the Indonesians.

In my thoughts, I knew this was doable if you do the calculations. But whether or not it can truly be doable relies on particular person gamers, and right this moment they pulled it off completely, which was fantastic to observe. When we communicate of Indian workforce sport on the highest degree, that is the actual World Cup that India has gained in a recreation unfold globally and with fancied powerhouses. I’m pleased with being a badminton participant right this moment. This was coming for years, however issues fell into place now. I’d even consider within the magic of our gamers.

Indonesia, Malaysia, China and Denmark will probably be in shock tonight, questioning how India gained. This will probably be reported for years. In Malaysia, they nonetheless recall tales of how they gained a title in 1991 with the Sidek brothers, and so they earned Datukhoods (much like knighthoods) and acres of land. Legends have been born. Mind you, the Indonesian and Malaysian groups, the second they misplaced, are going to be questioning ‘Can I go back home?’. You’ll hear ‘change the coach, change the association’ calls within the aftermath. That’s how a lot the Thomas Cup means to these badminton-crazy nations. Coaches concern for his or her jobs, and gamers get shredded. If you had instructed half the blokes in my affiliation the day earlier than that India is successful the Thomas Cup, even they wouldn’t consider it. But the gamers did.

𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 🏆🌟

An image price framing! 🖼

📸: BWF#TUC2022#ThomasCup2022#ThomasUberCups#IndiaontheRise#Badminton pic.twitter.com/iO5b3Vs82Q

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) May 15, 2022

In my time, we’ve misplaced 1-5 to Sri Lanka and 2-5 to Pakistan even. For us to qualify for the 16-team elite occasion was mighty, and after we beat Korea and Japan to qualify for that Thomas Cup and Uber Cup (for ladies) in 1999 Delhi, we thought that’s nice. Both Prakash (Padukone) sir and I used to play each singles and doubles, we didn’t even have doubles specialists then. We could be given two Yonex T-shirts and we’d be on our solution to these occasions. So you may perceive the place we began and the enormity of this.

India’s depth has been excellent. And if there have been 5 extra singles, India would have nonetheless gained. You shouldn’t hold fretting in regards to the huge gold medal not coming within the Olympics, as an alternative hold pushing in workforce occasions. Badminton Association of India, Sports Authority of India and the Government helped us in plans to push 10 gamers in Top 25 to construct extra depth. We didn’t construct this depth within the ladies’s workforce. The ladies gamers would play their very own matches and never take care of the remainder of the workforce. Saina and Sindhu didn’t take the workforce alongside, we should always have constructed that tradition within the Uber Cup. That’s the distinction between bronze and gold.

Congratulations #TeamIndia for his or her historic win in males’s Badminton in #ThomasCup2022!💐What a day for Indian sport!Badminton World champion workforce 🇮🇳 @MIB_India @BAI_Media @espn @PIB_India @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @drkjsrini @BadmintonIndia @badmintonupdate @PBLIndiaDwell @ANI pic.twitter.com/dx9cQtE80d

— India in Guyana (@IndiainGuyana) May 15, 2022

This win comes from H S Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth not taking their locations with no consideration, additionally Srikanth and Lakshya Sen preventing for that one spot. But credit score to the boys, they competed whereas serving to one another. That’s an enormous beneficiant high quality. They’ve every had debacles — misplaced at Olympics, not certified for Olympics, not been centrestage, misplaced huge matches. That fireplace to show some extent has baked them a little bit extra, which confirmed of their grit.

Opponents have begun to learn Lakshya, and make life troublesome for him. He was struggling on the corners, however he stood there and fought like a gladiator. That’s character. Srikanth put unimaginable stress on Jonatan Christie. It was the identical in doubles. Our guys have been preventing to be heroes; they have been avoiding being labelled as “villains” of their international locations.

It’s been robust for India’s male gamers with unfair comparisons with Saina and Sindhu. The Indian ladies raised the bar a lot {that a} Super 500 win for the lads barely registers now — moving into the Top 10, semis, quarters won’t ever be huge headlines. If they’d misplaced the ultimate right this moment, all the joy would have subsided. Lakshya made the All-England finals, however solely successful it can put him on the identical pedestal as Sindhu or Saina. So it’s been robust.

This will go on for a while now 🕺🥳

We thank every & everybody on your assist ❤️#TUC2022#ThomasCup2022#ThomasUberCups#IndiaontheRise#Badminton pic.twitter.com/pMpKHdILaO

— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) May 15, 2022

There are gamers who get the possibility and pounce on it, like Saina, Sindhu, Jwala (Gutta), and there are these that aren’t courageous sufficient to take advantage of the chance. Prannoy, Satwik Chirag, Srikanth, Lajshya proved they’re courageous sufficient to take that likelihood. Winning a remaining is being courageous.

I’ll have a good time this win with my household tonight, however the actual occasion will probably be on the academy tomorrow. But I’m going to get up, and surprise ‘What next?’ These boys displaying they will win the most important title means I’ve to start out enthusiastic about the subsequent troublesome goal.

I keep in mind, Satwik’s mom had come to me when he was younger, she spoke of how she at all times dreamt of enjoying singles. Convincing the likes of Satwik, Dhruv, Krishna and even Gayatri that you could be a good participant in singles however an important one in doubles took effort. This title is validation that huge issues can occur in doubles. If these males don’t litter their minds with ideas of cash or rely medals or turning into celebrities on social media, keep within the second, play good and aggressive, then nice issues will occur. It’s not a dream India dreamt actively, however now the nation will reside the dream with these wonderful gamers.

(The author is a Sydney Games Olympian, All England champion and nationwide badminton head coach. He spoke to Shivani Naik)