Creating a Racquet

Eighteen-year-old Sanyogita Ghorpade took her first step towards professional badminton at the tender age of 10. The All India Junior Ranking Badminton Tournament Champion (2010) credits her physical fitness to proper nutrition. “Sports and nutrition are directly related to each other. A proper balance between a healthy diet and exercise is the key to a successful sporting career,” she maintains.

Her day starts with her ground training at around 6 am,after which she has her breakfast of eggs,dry fruits,milk and a banana. Her on-court training starts at 11 am and goes on for five hours. Her lunch has a proportionate amount of fats,carbohydrates and proteins as she switches between non-vegetarian and vegetarian food on alternate days. The evening time is meant for exercising at the gym. This young badminton player wants to leave no stone unturned when it comes to fitness. Dinner for her is much the same as her lunch – rich with pulses,green leafy vegetables and meat. “Plus,I quite frequent have energy drinks and sports bars while practising,as they are a great source of all the required essentials,” she adds.

With such a hectic and rigorous regime,how does she keep away from injuries. She asserts,“If you’re physically fit and in a good shape,then injuries wouldn’t bother you much. My coach Varun Khawalkar and trainer Jyoti make sure that I exercise regularly and that my diet is planned and implemented in a proper way. ”

About her diet during the off-season,she says,“This phase is meant for gaining muscle mass and not body weight,so there has to be a planned intake of food. The diet is similar to what I have during my on-Season training period. A proper training session is followed during this time.”

Currently in her first year of BCom at BMCC,Pune,shuttling between studies and career is not much of a problem her. A regular representative of India on the international level,she has participated in the All Asian Badminton Championship that was held in Malaysia (2010) and the Junior Badminton Exchange in Japan (2009). For all the youngsters who want to pursue badminton as their career,she advises,“Badminton requires full dedication and focus. The right diet and proper exercise can take you a long way and help you in avoiding injuries,which is a common woe for many sportsmen.”