Sitting languidly at his home in Guntur, badminton champion Kidambi Srikanth is in a happy mood surrounded by his family and friends. Fresh from the record win at the Thomas Cup, where he played a lead role in India winning the cup for the first time, Srikanth is focussed on the next major championship, the Indonesian Open.
A few minutes before, budding badminton players, most of them children, visited his home on the Inner Ring Road on Thursday and congratulated him on his achievement. He spent a lot of time with them, motivating them to do better.
Earlier in the day, senior office-bearers of AP Badminton Academy, Punnaiah Chowdary, Rayapati Ranga Rao, Sampath Kumar and D. Srinivasa Rao congratulated him on his success.
In an informal chat, Mr. Srikanth shared his plans for the year and his preparations for the 2024 Olympics.
“I am focussed on the Indonesian Open which begins in June. I feel happy that I have been doing well winning back to back tournaments. Winning Thomas Cup for the country is definitely one of my biggest successes and I wish to continue the same form,” he said.
His earlier accomplishments include silver at the World Championship in 2018, silver at Common Wealth Games in 2018 and gold in South Asian Games in 2019.
The transition
Mr. Srikanth, his brother Nanda Gopal and their parents are a close-knit family, who moved into their new home three years back. His transition from a laid back player to the champion has been full of grit, determination and tenacity.
“The vision to succeed pulls you towards the goal. I do get nervous before the start of a match but I stay calm and focussed. The day starts early for me as I drive to practice, and I am happy that all the effort is paying off,” he said.
The star player reminisces of his early childhood where he along with his brother used to train at NTR Municipal Stadium in Guntur. “Badminton was not a popular sport back then. Now, I am happy more children are taking up the sport,” rounded off Mr. Srikanth looking to spend time with his close friends.
