Chief National coach says to beat top guns like Malaysia, Denmark and Indonesia is not a joke
V.V. SUBRAHMANYAM
HYDERABAD
Chief National coach P. Gopi Chand believes that India’s historic win over Indonesia in the Thomas Cup final, dubbed as the World team championship in badminton, can be compared with India’s triumph in the 1983 cricket World Cup.
“This is a huge victory for Indian badminton a personally one for me,” Gopi told The Hindu after the country blanked Indonesia 3-0 in the final in Bangkok on Sunday.
“Every time people try to put me down, God has given me something really special. Something to be really proud of. It is a huge personal victory for me, too,” Gopi said.
“To beat top guns like Malaysia, Denmark and Indonesia is not a joke. It speaks volumes of the kind of effort the players put in. It is a complete team effort and obvious that they pushed each other to the hilt under pressure. I believe this victory will propel Indian badminton to a new high.
BAI’s support
“I must thank Badminton Association of India for the support it extended consistently to ensure that these kind of results are there,” the former All England champion added.
And, who can forget the way R. Satwiksairaj and Chirag Shetty played in doubles. Ever since Tim Kim Her decided to pair them up in 2016, there has been no looking back. With Lakshya Sen ensuring the perfect start against Antony Ginting in the first singles with a high-quality display, the stage was set for Satwik and Chirag to raise the bar.
Never-say-die attitude
That incredible backhander through the legs by Chirag in the tense moments of the second game when the Indians were staring at defeat, showed the never-say-die attitude of this pair. After Tim Kan Her quit in 2019, ensuring his trainees were better off in skills and tactics, the new coach Flandy Lampelle saw to it that the focus was on fitness and defence, said Satwik recently.
“More importantly, he and Gopi Sir saw to it that we were part of every Indian team, even if it meant we were a reserve pair.”
