As the only badminton player in the Indian team from Pune,Aditi Mutatkar has a huge mantle to carry at the upcoming Commonwealth Games. This is the first time that she will take part in the prestigious world event. But the 22-year-old shuttler seems least affected by the development as she is immersed in her training. Though I have represented the country in the past,an event of the magnitude of the CWG is a different ballgame altogether,but I havent seen the need to make any major changes in my training regime for the games, she said. I have been working on the psychological aspect of my game and improving my mental strength, she added. Her coach Hemant Hardikar with whom she trains at the PDMBA Complex in Shivajinagar expressed a similar sentiment. Aditi has been doing very well on the international circuit recently,but her only drawback is that she has a slightly defensive game. She needs a more aggressive approach, he said. Mutatkars career began in Mumbai at the age of nine. She played there for a couple years before shifting to Pune,which she now calls home after living here for over a decade. Asked about the citys potential to produce world-class talent in badminton,she said there were still a lot of areas that need improvement. Pune has always been a hub for badminton,and our players are known for their excellent technique, she said. However,they lack the work ethic required to make it big,and many of them fizzle out after performing well on the junior circuit, she added. The shuttler,who is an officer with Bharat Petroleum,is optimistic about the teams chances as well as her own. Since countries like China,Korea and Japan will not be participating in the games,the playing field is a little depleted and we are definitely one of the strong contenders for the gold in the team event as well as the individual event. On a personal level,I have performed well against Top-20 players in the recent past,and feel confident that I can pull off an upset victory on my day, she said. When playing for India,comparison with World No. 3 Saina Nehwal is inevitable. I dont pay attention to comparisons with anyone,but just keep working on improving my game, she said.
