When the public rendition of the national anthem happened with the whole stadium at Shah Alam, Malaysia standing up for the women’s badminton team in blue, India’s 3-2 finals success over Thailand got imprinted in public memory. It was a historic moment as India won their first-ever Asian team title, with the women having never crossed quarters before, and with three youngsters not even 21 years old, leading this charge.
As unseeded and unheralded India beat the top-three seeded teams China, Japan, and Thailand 3-2, it was Anmol Kharb, only 17 years old, Treesa Jolly, 20 and Gayatri Gopichand, 21, who won six of those nine crucial matches. The youngest member, Faridabad’s Anmol, was tested for three days playing the tie-breaking 5th rubber, and ranked 478, while playing only her second international event ever, beat players ranked far above her in each of those pressure games. Treesa-Gayatri won 3/3 of their matches against better-placed opponents, including two Top Ten pairs from Japan and Thailand.
The great Indian women’s badminton story will not suddenly stop or gradually fade out at PV Sindhu.
But well before they stepped up to the podium winning gold at the Badminton Asia Team Championships, the team assembled for private, fortifying ‘Jana Gana Mana’ huddles, before and after every team tie, as they went about building the blocks of this success. The anthem was summoned not only in time of success, but also during every step of the struggle.
Anmol, Treesa, Gayatri, Ashwini Ponappa, Tanisha Crasto and PV Sindhu are at varied junctures of their individual careers. But those team huddles daily, irrespective of their own results, helped build an insta bond which carried over onto the playing court.
Every player was also urged to take a few moments by themselves to pray to their gods or whoever they worshipped or whatever centred them in life, to help find calm before they entered the shrieking, dinning cauldron of competition. A team dinner was planned only after they won the title, taken across the tape by a calm and assured 17-year-old Anmol, ranked 478 who clinically downed Pornpicha Choeikeewong, ranked 45, with the tie in balance at 2-2.
Nobody would have blamed the teenager had she lost, but after pulling out wins against China and Japan, the team was strangely confident that India’s third singles player who not many knew of till three days ago, would safely take India home. “I was looking forward to somehow getting to the Anmol match, knowing she’ll figure it all out,” said coach Pullela Gopichand. “We all were.”
READ: Pullela Gopichand interview: ‘Talented Ashmita needs to be disciplined in shot-making, Anmol a livewire talent’
India has won the men’s Thomas Cup in 2022, and Asian Games men’s silver last year. But the women’s team who have an Uber Cup bronze, had rarely inspired confidence of picking a team title. India’s singles strength stopped at Saina Nehwal and Sindhu. And this was the first time ever that India had two competent Top 25 women’s doubles pairs.
But on Sunday, Sindhu needed to beat old nemesis Supanida Katethong who had been troubling her often, including handing her two losses at Delhi, while being coached by Sindhu’s ex-coach Kim. The former world champion broke no sweat in taking the opener 21-12, 21-12 against Thailand.
Next, Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand, 20 & 21 respectively, played their second straight Top 10 pairing on successive days. Through the week, the pairing that faces deep and oftentimes nasty scrutiny as Gayatri is Gopichand’s daughter, battled the toughest matchups, always pitted against Top Tenners. And the youngsters played excellent tactical and physical badminton, winning 21-16, 18-21, 21-16 against the Thais to go 2-0 up.
India lost the next two matches, but then it was time for the most exciting talent to take centre stage in the fifth decisive rubber. Anmol Kharb showed no nerves. “The only thing she needed to be told was don’t be super-active when cheering for other matches, eat something and give your voice a little bit of rest. Any more advice would’ve been unnecessary pressure for her. She needed nothing to be told about how to play,” Gopichand said.
Indian badminton can be said to have a cool future, because Anmol Kharb & Co needed no speeches to get revved up. They just went out there and did whatever needed doing. Thailand, with two singles players ranked No 17 & 18 and two doubles pairings ranked No 10 and 13, didn’t see this coming from a mile, or metres even.
The tournament was an important box ticked for Sindhu who didn’t have a women’s team gold in her career. And though the top singles stars from Asia were missing, Sindhu had to bounce back from her loss against Japan, and shepherd this young team along. “Sindhu played really well. Didn’t let her opponent take off at all,” Gopichand said.
For young Treesa-Gayatri, who cop drastic abuse from lunatics watching on Youtube whenever an error occurs, the advice was specific: “They tend to be extra alert and too fast on their feet, so shots come off from hard hands. All we told them was to not jump at everything and play with soft hands.” The duo absorbed the pressure of playing first doubles, after Tanisha Crasto was injured and stepped up without fuss.
But the epitome of unfussed was Anmol, with no fear of the occasion and no fright of reputations. She’s never played a senior international tournament outside Chhattisgarh. But in Malaysia, she was breezy and unhurried, playing battle. “I think there were no expectations from this team, and wherever the tie went – leading 1-0, trailing 0-1, 2-2, quarterfinals, semifinals, there was no pressure to win. There was freshness to the team.” It helped that they sang the national anthem irrespective of win or lose, without jingoistic pressure. The team ticked the one criterion that matters – they were in it together.
Indian women team celebrates after winning the Badminton Asia Team Championships with a 3-2 victory over Thailand in Selangor, Malaysia on Sunday. (PTI) 
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