BENGALURU Wednesday 5 August 2009
DC
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TRIVIA The biggest badminton shuttle in the world can be found on the lawns of the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, in Kansas City – 48 times larger than the real thing at 18 feet tall and weighing 5,000 pounds.
sport
ON TRACK India No. 1 shuttler Sayali Gokhale’s game has seen a meteoric rise ever — DC since the Nationals triumph.
Sunny days ahead Talent has never been the problem for the Pune shuttler, if anything it was the demons within that triggered a bout of low confidence. But the victory in the Nationals changed all that and Sayali has been a transformed player ever since MAXIN MATHEW DECCAN CHRONICLE
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here are a few who are destined to succeed while there are some who are determined to succeed. Sayali Gokhale belongs to the latter breed. The talented shuttler has had a spectacular rise on the badminton circuit after battling a troublesome period of low self-esteem and poor confidence. And the wait has been worth it. When she first took up badminton at the National Chemical Lab (NCL) courts in Pune, Sayali didn’t have the slightest idea that the sport would change her life. “I was nine and like almost every
FOR SAYALI other kid I too got involved in sports. Badminton was intriguing and I opted for it, not knowing that this move will be the turning point in my life,” Sayali said. In 1995, she took part in her first state-ranking tournament and won it convincingly. Spotted by the Late Prakash Vartak, Sayali was advised to pursue badminton seriously as her quick grasp and strong reflexes surely had a star in the making. Sayali was then selected for the Tata Padukone Academy, which opened its Pune wing in 1999. Training under Anil Modak and Hemant Hardikar, Sayali honed her skills and won her first AllIndia U-13 title, on debut. She later shifted to the Academy’s main centre in Bengaluru as the Pune branch was only for U-19 shuttlers. A string of successful runs at the state and national circuits gave Sayali the cut for the junior Indian squad in 2003 for her first international tournament in the Czech Republic. “It was my first foreign tourney so I was a little apprehensive about it. But I gave my best and managed to reach the quarters,” she said.
Getting over the mental block that I can’t win was the biggest challenge for me. It has been a great run ever since the Nationals. Now, there is no fear of anything. Though her exploits at the junior level were impressive, Sayali was desperate to break into the senior squad so that she could play quality badminton. “It was hard to finance an international tourney on your own and I wasn’t getting much to play. I wanted to get into the senior team but just couldn’t make it. It was very frustrating,” she added. Even a Syrian Satellite Open title in 2008 couldn’t lift her hopes. “My ranking was low and I wasn’t even part of the Commonwealth core group of shuttlers. I had the
Nationals coming up and I knew a good show would definitely boost my morale and chances,” said the 21-year-old Sayali. For nearly three-and-a half months, the Pune lass put in all her focus in training for the Nationals. “Getting over the mental block that I can’t win was the biggest challenge for me. “Prakash sir was the best help I could get at that time and he worked wonders. His tips and advice were very valuable and it played a big role in preparing me for the Nationals.”
Her hard work paid off as she effortlessly won the National title in Pune earlier this year. That win changed a lot, she said, and besides fetching her a place in the Sudirman Cup squad she was also selected for various tours. In May, Sayali stepped up her pursuit for greater glory, winning the Spanish Open in Madrid, her biggest achievement till date. What was more impressive was that as an unseeded player, she overcame several top seeds without dropping a game. She then made it three in a row last month, after she defeated her city-mate Neha Pandit to bag the Tata Open in Mumbai. She was then included among the Commonwealth core team and also won a wildcard entry for the World Badminton Championships in Hyderabad starting next week. The dark period was over, Sayali had made her mark “It has been a great run ever since the Nationals. Now, there is no fear or worry of anything. I am confident and 100 per cent fit,” the India No. 1 grinned. With the Worlds around the corner, Sayali is not aiming for longterm goals and is planning to take it one match at a time. “My first round is against Yao Jei of The Netherlands. I have seen her play and her rallies are strong. But my preparation has been good and I am ready for her,” she said. Given her performance since the beginning of the year, she sure is.