Over the years, India’s consistent performances in badminton have made the country a force to reckon with at the global level. Indian shuttlers rank among the best in the world. The Asian Games, though, are a different challenge altogether. China, Japan and South Korea, all badminton powerhouses, compete at the Asian Games. At the last edition in Hangzhou in 2022, India won three medals: one gold (men’s doubles), one silver (men’s team) and one bronze (men’s singles).
Both the men’s and women’s teams take on hosts Japan in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Ahead of the matches, NDTV caught up with badminton great Pullela Gopichand, who is also the national coach, in Japan.
Q: Big quarterfinal coming up against Japan, both for men and women?
A: I think it’s going to be a tough one. They will be close matches. Both teams are strong, so the first singles is going to be the big one.
For both teams, I would think. Having said that, Japan has two strong doubles pairs in the women’s event, and we have at least one stronger doubles pair in the men’s. With the home crowd and a little bit of help from the conditions, I think it’s going to be a tough one. But I’m confident we’ll be able to pull it off, and it will be a great match to win if we do.
Q: And having come here, you’ve now trained for a few days and played one match each, with the women playing Kazakhstan and the men playing Bangladesh. What are the conditions like here?
A: It’s very typical of a Japan-type court. Maybe the hall is not as big as what we would have for a Japan Open or bigger events like the Olympics, but it seems to be a little on the faster side from the matches we’ve played. Things have changed a little on both days.
We started off thinking it was slow, but then it became faster. There’s a bit of drift. I would think the conditions need to be a little cooler.
So tomorrow, depending on the drift, we’ll have to adjust. But the faster it is, the better it is for us, the way I look at it. As for physical fitness and preparation, I think everybody is looking good.
Q: I was listening to that HS Prannoy interview he did with one of my reporters. It was very emotional when he said, “This will be my last Asian Games.” When you think of players like Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth, who have given great service to Indian badminton, does the team think along those lines? A medal for Prannoy, a medal for Srikanth?
A: The team has bonded very well. The Thomas Cup wins and the medals we’ve won have made the team stronger.
They have their rituals and routines, independent of who the team management is. The team has bonded very well and has a strong desire to achieve something together.
The outside world unfortunately doesn’t see what goes on behind the scenes, but there is a lot of emotion in the team when they participate in these events.
So yes, it is emotional. What Prannoy has done for himself and for India is phenomenal. What Srikanth has done for India is phenomenal.
I think what Saina and Sindhu have been for women’s badminton, in some ways Srikanth and Prannoy have been for men’s badminton. Of course, Lakshya and Ayush have been phenomenal and I hope they have many more years to go. But it all comes with that legacy.
Also, players like Satwik, Chirag and Prannoy are great team players. We have a great team, great bonding, a strong desire to win and great energy in the dugout.
Hopefully, we can turn that into a medal. Most importantly, I don’t think it’s a farewell. I hope Prannoy continues. Another four years might be difficult, but not because he is getting old or retiring. There is a lot of strength in the younger generation coming through. It will be great to watch those matches.
Q: I have to ask you about Lakshya. Is he looking good to you? Is he looking in sync and in form?
A: You have to understand how men’s badminton is. In women’s badminton, An Se-young has been the queen. She has won six of the eight tournaments this year, and Sindhu has won a couple of others.
Men’s badminton hasn’t been like that. We’ve had eight players and eight different winners.
You’re looking at a group of players who are all capable of winning. The conditions matter, and how they play the big points on the big days is what counts.
Lakshya is very capable of doing it. Hopefully, he wins this tournament. But even if he doesn’t, I think he will continue to win big tournaments in the future.
You have to back him. He’s a class act. He’s had some great results at the World Championships, All England and Olympics.
Yes, people might say he missed winning the Olympics, the World Championships or the All England, but he has reached the All England final, the Olympic semifinals and the World Championships final.
He’s achieved a lot, and I think he’s a class act. Things will fall into place.
Q: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the China Open after looking rusty at the World Championships following a long layoff.
A: Tell me which other pair has two players who can dominate the net and smash as hard as they do.
They are a unique pair. It’s just about getting things going consistently.
Yes, they had some injuries. Hopefully, those concerns are behind them now. They are definitely one of the pairs with the best chance of winning a medal here.
Q: Tell me a little more about the team bonding, because from television we see the entire team cheering every point, shouting slogans and exchanging high-fives. Japan will have home support as well.
A: I think it’s more than the noise they make.
It’s the support and bonding they have that makes a small group so powerful.
It’s not necessarily the slogans or the volume of the cheering. It’s the bonding, the emotional connection, the trust and support they give one another.
That’s the power of the squad sitting behind the court, and I think that’s the greatest strength we have.
We’ve consciously built that culture. If you look at the BAC team events, we’ve had fantastic results. A few years ago, we encouraged everyone to get involved and support every point.
Once that energy became part of the culture, and after the Thomas Cup success and other team championships, everybody started enjoying it and could see the dividends in the results.
Q: Many people are saying Japan in the quarterfinals is a relatively tough draw. How do you see it?
A: Last time we had an easier draw, and this time we have a tougher draw.
That’s how draws work. Sometimes you get a favourable one, sometimes you don’t.
We could have drawn Hong Kong, which would also have been tough. Whether it’s Japan, China or Indonesia, these are all strong teams.
We still have to go out there and perform.
Q: India are the defending silver medallists. Does that create additional pressure?
A: I think this is a little different from most multi-sport events.
We’re more isolated. If we were staying in the Games Village, perhaps that would add to the atmosphere and pressure.
But these players have played enough events and are very responsible individuals. They already put enough pressure on themselves.
Q: There have been complaints about facilities and accommodation at the Games. What has been your experience?
A: There have been issues. Things could have been better.
But we have a bed to sleep in, we’ve completed our practice sessions and the matches are going ahead.
Nobody is really thinking about those things right now.
Having said that, the badminton accommodation and transport arrangements have been pretty good. We are reasonably happy with what is happening here.
Q: So, 50-50 or just about India? For women, my assessment is maybe 60-40 in Japan’s favour. For the men, just about India.
A: I think the first singles is going to be critical. That’s where momentum can be won or lost.
In the women’s tie, I think the first doubles will also be critical. I think Aditi and Tanisha are playing the world No. 3 pair, and that’s going to be a tough one.
So I think it’s going to be very close. If we pull it off, it will be a great result.