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A Window into Indian Badminton
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November 2007
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Vol. 1. No.2
IT’S PROBABLY her Aquarian birth that makes Ruth Misha so intensely philosophical. It’s also probably what makes her so charmingly selfcontradictory.
Ruth Misha (right) and Nitya Sosale at the World Junior Championships in New Zealand
Ruth Misha Born: 12 Feb 1989 Loves… l The Bible l Maths and History l Old Hollywood movies… Roman Holiday, Sound of Music l Audrey Hepburn l Dan Brown’s ‘Angels and Demons’ l The latest English songs
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title came because of the preparations of the last year, or whether it was because she played ‘freely’.
“I don’t think I’m playing any better than I did last year. I kept setting A month after her first-ever goals last year, but something kept national-level title (the Union Bank happening in the finals. So I stopped All India Junior tournament), Ruth thinking so much. But I really wanted still struggles to express the feelto win this one.” ing. “It’s really weird. I don’t think “I’ve changed a lot. Earlier people’s anyone expected me to win, not words would hurt me. Maybe they even my parents. I lost in so many weren’t directed at me, but I would finals last year, so I just left it assume they were. Now I just don’t open here, didn’t put any pressure care. People say I’m arrogant... on myself, didn’t think too much.” maybe I am.” Then she does a U-turn: “Actually, The 18-year-old is back from the I don’t think you should play like World Juniors in New Zealand, where that, without thinking. Maybe I she reached the second round of didn’t deserve the title at all.” the girl’s singles and the third in the But the title was a long-cherished mixed doubles. “In a tournament of one, and what made it special this kind, every match is like a final. was that she won it on home turf The standard is very high.” against her nemesis, Sikki Reddy. The I BA student at Mount Carmel In both games she trailed 16-20, College, Bangalore, has been playing and went on to win 22-20. for ten years now, having started at Ruth has had a bit of a rollerYMCA as an 8-year-old. coaster over the last year and a But what’s most important is that, half, with losses in the final of even after a decade of being on nearly every tournament, and an court, she says she loves the game… ankle injury only aggravated the “I wish I could live here all the self-doubt. She’s still unsure if the time”.
INSIDE 2
ASHWINI NACHAPPA on parenting Editorial: Is badminton dying? VIMAL: Grooming a champion
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VINOD KUMAR: Training fundas
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ARVIND: Mental toughness
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GUTS - A Window into Indian Badminton
Editorial... “Badminton is dying,” a top Indian international recently told me, leaving me speechless. After all, this was from someone who is a potential top-ten player, and has had some big wins lately. But he pointed out that despite all the noise made of the Super Series, the individual prize money has actually gone down, not up. “I talked about this with a BWF official, but he was only able to offer excuses. Everybody in the game is making money – except the players,” he said ruefully. It is important for players between world no.15 and no.100 to be well looked-after, for they are the ones who provide each tournament its competitive flavour. They are not the stars who draw the crowds, but they represent the essence of sport. Most Indian players are in this category, and will be too, in future. Not everyone can make it to the top-ten. If one of India’s best players is alarmed about the international situation, some soul-searching needs to be done immediately. Badminton will never die, but a lot of players might quit the game in disgust. We will all be the poorer for that. Meanwhile, let us pause to consider Arvind Bhat’s remarkable streak of four titles since July – including back-toback tournament wins in Syria and Jordan in the space of a week in November. When he began his comeback he did not even have a world ranking. Now he is in the top-60. We at GUTS salute his courage. E-mail: badmintonmania@gmail.com
November 2007
Allow your child to be a child By Ashwini Nachappa THE kind of encouragement you give your child is important, because if your home environment is encouraging, the child is motivated to do well. My kids are still young. They’re at a certain level, a seriousness has set in that they want to become better, and goals and expectations have gone up. So encouragement on and off the field is important. Pressure vs motivation When your kids reach a certain level the pressure does come in because today only winning matters. And to win you should be able to handle that pressure. Doses of little amounts of pressure, along with fun and play, is important at that age. You’ve also got to allow the space for a child to be a child. We tend to forget that they are only 9 or 12 years old when they’re on the court. As a parent or coach you know their potential and want them to excel, but when you’re at home you’ve got to allow them to do what a normal child does. If you’re going to keep them from parties and friends, it gets boring and restrictive. School work I have seen that since children who are into competitive sports don’t have as much time as others, they can focus better in whatever little time they have, and recollect lessons better. Of course, the pressure nowadays on children is enormous. When Check your Badminton Quotient I was in school, we didn’t have this presWhich Indian doubles player sure. Fifty-five percent those days was like is a practitioner of the Kerala 95 percent today. I’ve told my children – if martial art kalaripayattu? you’re excelling in sport, I won’t demand SMS your answers to an A-plus. Even a B is fine.
BQ
(This is a column that features opinions of players’ parents. Former international athlete Ashwini Nachappa’s two young daughters are promising junior badminton players.)
Grooming a champion-1
When the child is between four and six years old, parents should encourage the child to get into some kind of physical activity, especially athletics, swimming and gymnastics. These disciplines are basic to sport and will help the child develop hand-eye co-ordination, flexibility, etc. By the time the child is eight or nine, they could do an aptitude test by taking the child to a coach. This is a series in which former national coach VIMAL KUMAR will help parents prepare their children for competitive badminton.
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Prize: Gift from Yonex Winner of October quiz: Roshni S, Bangalore
November 2007
GUTS - A Window into Indian Badminton
Vinod Kumar: Shaping ’em up
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Having come from athletics, what are your observations on badminton players? Badminton players have better career prospects. If they do well, they will make it to the international level. In terms of fitness, I don’t see much difference. In athletics there are power sports and endurance sports. Badminton is a combination of both. Do you use decathlon training methods on badminton players? It’s different. What I use here I don’t use in decathlon. Before I joined the academy, I observed the players for a week and noted a few things that had to be changed, especially in terms of weight training. Can you give us an idea of your training methods?
Arvind Bhat with trainer Vinod Kumar Arvind Bhat has credited him for getting into match-winning shape. Both Prakash Padukone and Vimal Kumar think highly of him. He is Vinod Kumar, trainer at the Prakash Padukone Academy, and with him rests the task of making the trainees fit enough for national and international competition. Vinod was a university medalist in decathlon and represented Karnataka for three years. He was briefly employed with the Railways, but quit and joined protein supplement company Body Fuelz under the tutorship of the knowledgeable Ryan Fernando. With the academy looking for a replacement to TR Balachandran, who joined George Thomas’ academy in Kochi, Vinod was asked to train Arvind Bhat. Arvind was then on his way back from ankle surgery. His six-week training under Vinod resulted in a remarkable turnaround, with four international title wins. Excerpts from an interview with GUTS: When you first saw Arvind, what did you notice? I noticed a few co-ordination problems; it was probably due to his injury. I observed a few things with his hands, legs, and joints. You can’t make the muscles strong until the joints are strong. So I worked on strengthening his joints… I planned a sixweek programme. I even accompanied him to the national camp in Hyderabad.
I say work should be smart, not hard. I follow season and nonseason training. During season, work is lighter and faster, with more repetitions. During off-season I concentrate on foundation – more circuit training, strength, endurance, killer-instinct, concentration. Some workouts look easy, but when they do it, they have headache and nausea. They should go through that on the field, because then on court they will be comfortable. Doesn’t training get monotonous for players? How do you make it fun? I’ve gone through that as an athlete, and I don’t want them to. I prefer a fun environment. But I don’t want them to lose attention. I tell them: “Are you a professional?” As a professional, you should know your responsibilities. I don’t like to keep harping. In some workouts, like speed endurance and weight training, I’m serious, I don’t allow them to fool around. I tell them, if you do this, this will be the result. I’m sure of that because I’ve done it and experienced it. What is the general philosophy of training nowadays? The basics have remained the same, but applications change. The basic is that, towards the end of a match you should feel as fit as when you started. In terms of application, instead of long distance running, I can achieve the same results with a few simpler steps. I give them very tough training only during speed endurance, that too only once a week. That one session is enough for them to understand athletics. I’ve seen a lot of improvement in their game now.
GUTS Congratulates Ashwini... Doubles champ Ashwini Ponnappa has won the Karnataka Olympic Association’s 2007 award in badminton. Ashwini was given a memento and cash prize of Rs 10,000.
Ashwini reads guts. Do you?
Ashwini Ponnappa with coach Vinod
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GUTS - A Window into Indian Badminton
Arvind: Mastering the mind game
November 2007
Once you understand ‘why’, you hit the bull’s eye. Even kriya – we use it to increase or decrease breath. Earlier we didn’t understand its purpose. But then you realise that when you’re excited or angry, your breathing increases; and when you’re cool your breathing is stable. So by doing that kriya you are simulating these match conditions.
Arvind Bhat (left) and Ajit Wijetilekk relax on a cruise after their doubles win at New Caledonia
Arvind Bhat is on a roll. Following his Czech Open win last month, he won back-to-back titles in Syria and Jordan, making it four singles titles since July. In a telephonic interview with Dev S Sukumar, he talks about the reasons behind his recent successes: The last two wins It’s very satisfying to win two tournaments in a row. I’m feeling better than I was at the Czech. I beat the top seed Pablo in the pre-quarters of Syria and semis at Jordan, so it feels very good. Winning two tournaments in a row is always tough – it’s my best streak ever. Before the tournaments I would have settled for one win and one semis, but to win both is a great result. All four of my titles this year (New Caledonia, Czech, Syria and Jordan) were earlier A grade tournaments, now they are International Series. I got 2500 points for each win, which is better than the first round of the Super Series. Maintaining fitness I spent the last two weeks before the tournaments at the International Badminton Academy in Denmark. That training helped. I next play the Norway Open, then will be in Bangalore for three days, and then the Pakistan Satellite. Mental state When I’m ahead I’m able to concentrate better. I try to remain cool all the time – that’s the big difference. Sometimes the shakiness is still there, especially against lesser players. But it’s not as high as earlier. Practices I’ve done Neuro-Linguistic Programming with Ashlesh Rao. I do Sudarshan kriya whenever I feel like it. But my mental toughness has developed by my own trial and error. Over the first two years I was just doing the process. But it was only after that that I could understand it and implement it. Initially you do it as a process. You analyse it only after two-three years, you understand it and then you realize it. Edited by Dev Sukumar. Printed & Published by Dev Sukumar, Biju Prasad, Thomas J. Kunnath. P4, KSSIDC Industrial Area, Mahadevapura, Bangalore - 560 048. Printed at National Printing Press, Koramangala, Bangalore-560 095.