Sanyogita upbeat after maiden U-19 badminton title

Ghorpade first took up badminton eight years ago,inspired by her elder brother Siddhanth who was a national player. After beginning her career in Kolhapur,she shifted to Pune five years ago,where she continued playing under Ravi Kunte. She is at present training under former national player Varun Khanwalkar at his academy in Sahakarnagar.

“It felt great to win my first title,” she said. “I had lost a couple of semifinals and even one final in previous events,so I’m glad I could go all the way this time.” Ghorpade added the double-crown made her maiden title even more special. She achieved another first by beating Rane,whom she had never managed to overcome in previous meetings.

“I have lost to her quite a few times in the past,but I know her style and had chalked out a gameplan before the match,which helped me tackle her game,” she stated. Ghorpade has been following her professional ambitions by putting in several hours of training everyday. After exercise of an hour-and-a-half in the morning,she then puts in five hours of practice before hitting the gym again in the evening. Along with all this,she is also pursuing her B.Com from Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce,and keeps up with her academics by studying at night and cutting back on practice during exams.

“I have been managing both for several years now,and have got used to it now,” she said with a smile,when asked how she strikes a balance between studies and sports. Mental preparation as is as important as physical readiness. “One cannot do without qualities like concentration and calmness,and I improve my mental strength by doing meditation on a regular basis,” she said.