Having the cake and eating it too

The only time Thulasi recalls crying court-side was when she’d lost to Sindhu in a junior national final.

On Wednesday though,Thulasi was all shy smiles as she picked her second seniors title – incidentally both coming in Mumbai,making the city her luckiest venues,even as the National Sports Club of India makes a strong pitch to host the Super Series next year. Having started as an inconspicuous teenager her own confidence had needed a supplementing infusion of belief which coach P Gopichand happily extended – based on nothing more than her willingness to work hard,a quality the national coach puts a lot of store on. Having achieved her biggest seniors domestic win – en route claiming the wily Trupti Murgunde and the gritty Arundhati Pantwane – Thulasi proved that her core of determination was always going to be bankable.

Against Sayali Gokhale – never an easy opponent with her ocassionally deceptive power and steely grit – Thulasi relied on her solid game and sprightly speed which she has maintained throughout this tournament to put it past the former national champion in straight sets. The youngster from Kerala had lost a string of finals in the past year but has taken assured strides in improving her stamina,which unfailingly scuppered her chances a few years ago. “We do a lot of weight training,and I’ve gained in strength as well,” she says,adding with a wink,”and I suddenly grew tall also,which was very nice.” Nice indeed,when you consider that the once-listless looking girl now moves with a distinctly intrepid body language.

Her unimpressive frame apart,what really got Thulasi into plenty of trouble was her faulty grip – an awkward flexion of her elbows and shoulder,in tow,when she played the strokes. “We have been working on correcting it since it increased the reaction time of contact with the shuttle because my arm took a longer curve than necessary. It’s still work in progress,” Thulasi admits,now focussed on the nuances of technique,now that her body-type doesn’t give the impression of a weakling taking on the onerous task of smashing the shuttle,anymore. The semis against Pantwane were especially satisfying,as she had lost to the latter in the Nationals. “Except Saina and Sindhu everyone was here,and I needed to prove to myself that I can actually beat everyone. Especially trupti and Arundhati who I’d lost to repeatedly,” she adds.

Title pocketed,she gave her friends the permission to kick off her birthday celebrations. “Actually,I’ll buy cake,cut it and and eat it. I miss my parents,but I’ve gifted myself a title this birthday,” she says,as she debates whether to head to her favourite KFC for some juicy wings. “I didn’t want to think about celebrating because I wouldn’t have been able to had I lost,” she admits. Known to be the tidiest of all campers at Hyderabad and generally quiet in conversations,Thulasi is known to possess a dry sense of humour,slipping in a few wisecracks at the unlikeliest of moments that endears her to her friends. Stressing plenty on the need to rest – and sleep as a result – she isn’t the most outgoing of the lot,but wants to see the world if badminton happens to be the pretext. Her drop-shots and attacking game are her favourite travel companions,and on days like this one – her 20th birthday,they are neatly summoned,and then packed back,traded for a winning smile on a face that doesn’t seem bony anymore.