The buck stops with the player

Nehwal,the newest champ on the block,was the most candid of the three. Too much cricket,she first scoffed,before proceeding to shred the nation’s favourite sporting-pastime: making four-year-plans of every Olympic cycle. “They talk of bringing 20-30 medals next time. But I wont be surprised if we come back with only 1,” she stated. But the buck stopped at the athletes,she was quick to point. “Not many are ready to sacrifice in India. Young players should,” she said,adding,”In Indonesia and Malaysia,there are so many players playing at the same level. China cannot even be compared. We need those numbers with standards of the same level.”

2001 All England champion and current coach P Gopichand stressed on the need for public courts – aided by government and corporations to widen the base,accessible for everyone,besides those attached to the more affluent clubs. “A kid needs to be interested and ready to sacrifice. Infrastructure’s the second step. No matter what,there’s no excuse for losing,” he said,stressing on playing surfaces,equipment and coaching in equal measure. Having won the All England almost 21 years after Padukone’s title,Gopi quipped that it wouldn’t be another 20 years before another Indian stepped up to the task,and delivered.

Padukone too put the shuttle in the player’s court – saying that much of what shuttlers could make of their career rested squarely on them. “A lot depends on the players themselves,not facilities. What I had in the 70s,those in 50s and 60s didn’t. We should work with what we have. But more importantly,its hard work,and more hard work. You should never be satisfied with winning a few tournaments,or even winning the All England once. Till you retire,you cannot settle for whatever you’ve achieved. You must always aspire for more,” he said,stressing that smaller cities also needed courts,since that’s where the talent was coming from.