Dong gets cracking

Camp co-ordinator Shrikant Vad, secretary of Maharashtra Badminton Association (MBA), explained that Zhu had informally identified a few shortcomings in training methodology, after observing a few players from Thane this morning. Zhu had suggested a few changes in lower body training (for increased waist flexibility) and quicker multi-shuttle feeding (for speed and fitness), Vad said.

Zhu himself refused to speak, and looked somewhat restless. It turned out that he found the number of trainees (21) too large for four courts. Vad said, “We are leaving everything to him. If he wants to break up the group into two, we will do so.”

Anil Mahesh, advisor to MBA, said the trainees were really buoyed up to have an international coach in their midst. A number of trainees were from the districts, a conscious move by the MBA to spread the game to the interiors.

The NMSA, courtesy Dr D Rane, is recording all the training sessions on video. The edited version will be sent as a film to all the districts.

Trainees (boys): Sagar Chopda, Anand Pawar, Vinayak Puthran (all Mumbai Suburbs), Aditya Chitre, Ajit Phatak, Varun Khanvilkar (all Pune), Sumedh Deorukhkar, Akshay Thakkar, Bhushan Paithankar, Himanshu Thakkar (all Thane), Amar Mohite (Nagpur), Nishad Dravid (Dhule), Nitin Ingole (Aurang), Prashant Bahatare (Nanded), Siddharth Wagh (Nashik); (Girls): Sampada Pai, Neha Gangolli, Shivani Mayekar (Greater Mumbai), Sim Sim Salaria, Nikita Hurkadli (Mum Suburbs), Kranti Sane (Pune).

IBF bowls a Chinaman

The Maharashtra Badminton Association (MBA) has roped in the services of a local interpreter, Peter Wong, to assist Chinese coach Zhu Xiao Dong. The former Chinese National champion, a contemporary of such greats as Zhao Jian Hua and Yang Yang, does not speak English.

It is surprising the International Badminton Federation (IBF), which recommended the coach to the Indian badminton body (BAI), did not take into consideration the language barrier.

It is learned that Zhu arrived in India nearly a month back, but is yet to be given any assignment at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Complex in Bangalore, where he is stationed. He was reportedly “bored” in Bangalore without any work; the lack of language skills have not helped.

MBA secretary Shrikant Vad confessed that the association had thought of hosting a coaches clinic during Zhu’s week-long stay, but gave up the idea because of the language problem. Wong, the interpreter, is not a badminton player, and the finer points are likely to go untranslated, Vad said.