Today 17-year old PV Sindhu won the Malaysian Open badminton, which in today's setup of the sport is considered a Grand Prix Gold. Not very sure what these terms mean actually, but I am guessing it is two levels below the top level, but not by much.Considering the top level has only five tournaments (WC, Olympics, ALL England, Asian Games & Asian Badminton Championships), this would not be easy to win. Growing up in the mid eighties and nineties, an Indian sports fan wouldnt dream of any Indian winning the Malaysian Open of all tournaments.
Malaysia was always a big badminton power (even today the men's world number one is a Malaysian), and therefore an open championship bearing that country's name would always attract top players from across the world, trying to win it.Yes, Prakash Padukone, Syed Modi and Pullela Gopichand, all had their moments in the sun, but it was still a dream to expect Indian winners in such tournaments. Because, in every individual sport, we might have had the odd superstar, but we never ever had depth in our squads, to realistically expect such pleasant moments.
PV Sindhu's win today confirms that like boxing, shooting and wrestling, the global Indian badminton squad is ready to hunt in a pack.And this is not a conclusion reached at by one win alone.If we consider the consistent performances of Saina over the years, now Sindhu and also track the global exploits and progress of the men's squad consisting the likes of Purapali Kashyap, Sai Praneeth, RMV Gurusaidatt, Anand Pawar, Srikanth and Ajay Jayram over a period of time, we can be sure we are on to a good thing. Pullela Gopichand, something tells me can take huge credit for this acievement.
What gives the Indian sports fan even more hope, is that badminton is a non contact sport, yet extremely physical, demanding extreme levels of individual fitness and endurance. And it is played by the whole world seriously. Shooting, when it comes to individual fitness and endurance levels, is not as demanding, although it does demand the sportsperson to be fit enough to be able to have high levels of focus and concentration.Therefore, to become a superpower in a sport (yes, India can clain that today) like badminton, is perhaps the greatest sporting achievement of modern day independent India.
Malaysia was always a big badminton power (even today the men's world number one is a Malaysian), and therefore an open championship bearing that country's name would always attract top players from across the world, trying to win it.Yes, Prakash Padukone, Syed Modi and Pullela Gopichand, all had their moments in the sun, but it was still a dream to expect Indian winners in such tournaments. Because, in every individual sport, we might have had the odd superstar, but we never ever had depth in our squads, to realistically expect such pleasant moments.
PV Sindhu's win today confirms that like boxing, shooting and wrestling, the global Indian badminton squad is ready to hunt in a pack.And this is not a conclusion reached at by one win alone.If we consider the consistent performances of Saina over the years, now Sindhu and also track the global exploits and progress of the men's squad consisting the likes of Purapali Kashyap, Sai Praneeth, RMV Gurusaidatt, Anand Pawar, Srikanth and Ajay Jayram over a period of time, we can be sure we are on to a good thing. Pullela Gopichand, something tells me can take huge credit for this acievement.
What gives the Indian sports fan even more hope, is that badminton is a non contact sport, yet extremely physical, demanding extreme levels of individual fitness and endurance. And it is played by the whole world seriously. Shooting, when it comes to individual fitness and endurance levels, is not as demanding, although it does demand the sportsperson to be fit enough to be able to have high levels of focus and concentration.Therefore, to become a superpower in a sport (yes, India can clain that today) like badminton, is perhaps the greatest sporting achievement of modern day independent India.
