SHAH ALAM – The ongoing Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) have seen several promising young shuttlers proving their mettle on the court with their inspiring and energetic performance, aiming to bring glory to their respective teams.
Among them is 20-year-old Gayatri Gopichand, who, alongside her partner Treesa Jolly, has been instrumental in steering India to its historic BATC final against Thailand tomorrow.
As the daughter of Pullela Gopichand, a towering figure in Indian badminton, Gayatri is no stranger to the weight of expectations associated with her surname.
Her father, a former player turned national badminton head coach, has been at the centre of India’s rise as a badminton powerhouse, witnessing India’s transformation into a world-beating badminton-playing nation.
Gayatri’s mother, P.V.V. Lakshmi, herself an eight-time national women’s badminton champion, a Commonwealth Games medalist, and an Olympian, adds to the family’s deep-rooted connection with the sport.
Speaking to Scoop, Gayatri said that her journey in badminton was not merely about following in her father’s footsteps – it was about blazing her own trail, etching her name into the annals of sporting history with her unique brilliance and unwavering determination.
“My father has been the biggest role model for me in this sport, and without him, I wouldn’t be where I am right now.
“I used to train with him since I was a little girl, and I will not forget the days when he used to wake me up at 4 in the morning and train different varieties of drills with me.
“Whatever I learned in my childhood from him has made me into a disciplined player. He’s not only a father to me but to the whole team, and without him, we wouldn’t have reached so far.
“However, I prefer not to be in his shadow as I want to create a name for myself by establishing my own legacy. I want to be my best and achieve greater successes than my father and keep making him proud by one day winning the Olympic gold medal,” said Gayatri when met after her match at Setia City Convention Centre.
Her father founded his academy, the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, in Hyderabad in 2004.
His legacy extends beyond his achievements, as evidenced by the stellar performance of his proteges like Saina Nehwal, Srikanth Kidambi, P.V. Sindhu, H.S. Prannoy, and now India’s highest-ranked men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
India’s triumph at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where Sindhu clinched the silver medal in the women’s singles under Pullela’s guidance, stands as a testament to his remarkable coaching prowess.
Under Pullela’s tutelage, the India women’s team, with an average squad age of 22.6 years, secured a 3-2 victory over Japan, earning their place in the BATC final today.
The future looks bright for players like Anmol Kharb as she made her mark on the world stage by securing the winning point for her team, defeating Japan’s Natsuki Nidaira.
The world number 472 player caused an upset against her 29th-ranked opponent, 21-14, 21-18, in a 52-minute bout.
India also secured its berth in the upcoming Uber Cup finals in China, scheduled from April 28 to May 5, by being a top-four team in BATC. – February 17, 2024