Plagued by injuries throughout his playing career,Tanvir Gill managed a triple victory at last weeks Air Force Bal Bharti Delhi State badminton championships,picking up the mens singles,doubles and the mixed doubles events despite pulling a hamstring during the quarter-final stages of the tournament. Seeded second in the mens singles category,Gill beat top seed Devender Dhillon 17-21 21-13 21-14 in three tightly contested games,with the outcome eventually deciding the No 1 Delhi state player. It was a really close match, Gill told Sportline. Although I dropped the first game,I was high on confidence and it showed in my game, the 27-year-old said,adding,It is great to win the treble. I am proud of my achievement. Dhillon claimed that Gills attacking style was more than a match for him. Because he (Gill) is a really attacking player,I was trying to keep the point in play,trying to make him hit more shots and induce more errors, he said. I managed to win the first game and stay level till 11-11 in the second game,but the heat was rapidly causing fatigue. Gill deserved the title, he said. Although he has won the state championships on two previous occasions almost six years ago,Gill relishes the recent rise in form. This is my third state championship win in the mens singles category. I have reached the finals on seven different occasions but havent been able to convert all of them into wins. I was dedicated to pull this one off despite aggravating my hamstring during the last eight match, Gill said. Injuries are not new to Gills career. He suffered a cartilage tear in his right knee when he was playing at the junior levels. The early damage restricted Gill from playing professionally and he instead decided to join his father former national coach Surjeet Singh at his academy in coaching youngsters. I began coaching when I was 21. Teaching juniors to play the game gave me the confidence to return to the national level, Gill said. Having accomplished one of his targets for the season,Gills focus is now on the north zone championships and the nationals later this year. I missed both events due to an ankle injury last year,so Im looking forward to make amends, he said. With the Commonwealth Games in less than a year,Gill wants to begin training for the event in the hope of making the draw for the mixed doubles event,as both Gill and his partner Mohita Sehdev are seeded within the top five in the country. I have spoken to Gopi (Pullela Gopichand) to set up a camp after the world championships in Hyderabad to get match-fit and avoid further injuries, he said.
