Shuttle Talk
Read biographyIf cricket is the opium of the masses, badminton does the trick for me. I have been covering the sport from even before the current shuttle queen Saina Nehwal emerged on the badminton scene. I am tuned in into the behind-the-scene activities in the sport as well as the way forward. And that’s going to be the crux of my writing on this blog.
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How China fixes matches to remain badminton powerhouse
In the semifinal of the Badminton Asia Championship in China last week, Olympic Champion Lin Dan was injured during the morning training session and forfeited his match against compatriot Chen Jin. Chen went on to win the title, which made a considerable contribution to his ranking points. The victory took Chen #Badminton #China #JustSaying #Li Yongbo #Sports
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Lin Dan interview: None of the Chinese players are geniuses
One of the popular theories about four-time world champion Lin Dan is that his mother wanted him to learn piano and the boy wanted to play badminton and prevailed. However, the rhythm and the artistry stayed with him. Watching the 28-year-old in action is like experiencing a dance concert where every #Badminton #Lee Chong Wei #Lin Dan #London2012 #Olympics Blogger #Summer Olympic Games
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Without a new gameplan, Saina is doomed
Just before leaving for the All England championship, Saina Nehwal admitted in an interview that her decision to part ways with mentor Pullela Gopi Chand last year was a big mistake and she herself went up to the chief national coach to apologise and started training under him again. The rift #Badminton #London2012 #Pullela Gopichand #Saina Nehwal
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Finally, Indian badminton’s new generation arrives
Ever since the emergence of Saina Nehwal as the flagbearer of women's badminton in India back in 2006, the sports administrators and coaches have been talking of the new generation of Indian badminton stars who have the ability to take the badminton world by storm. The general argument was that these #Anup Sridhar #Chetan Anand #JustSaying #Pullela Gopichand #Saina Nehwal
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2011 shows badminton in India is more than just Saina
In today's highly competitive world of sports, there is hardly any time for players to reflect back on the season gone by or plan ahead. While they take a quick breather and get ready for 2012, Firstpost takes a look at the moments which defined Indian badminton’s year. First world championship #Badminton #BestOf2011 #Jwala Gutta #Saina Nehwal #Sports
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Doing it on his own: Jayaram’s solo run to Olympics
He’s come out of the blind side and taken Indian badminton by storm. Ask people if they’ve heard of Ajay Jayaram and most of them will go ‘Who’. But the 24-year-old, who hails from Chembur in Mumbai, has emerged from the crowd to battle Commonwealth Games bronze medallist P Kashyap for #Ajay Jayaram #FreshStart #London2012 #Prakash Padukone #Sports
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Indian badminton’s one academy policy is dangerous
The Prakash Padukone Academy’s decision to close down its Pune feeder centre due to lack of talent and need for better fund management must have come as a surprise to many badminton followers. After all Pune was the only centre of the Bangalore-based academy to produce national and international level #Badminton #Bangalore #Prakash Padukone #Pullela Gopichand #ToTheCon
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BAI website gives Jwala-Ponnappa WC bronze a miss
Badminton fans in the country cannot stop raving about the exploits of doubles stars Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, who created history last Sunday by winning a medal in the World Badminton championship after a gap of 28 years. While the two girls made news across the country, it seems #Ashwini Ponnappa #Badminton #Jwala Gutta #Prakash Padukone #Saina Nehwal #Sports #WhyNow
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Jwala loves putting on a show
If badminton can be compared to Bollywood, then Saina Nehwal is the undoubted shuttle queen while Jwala Gutta is the perennial item girl who stays in the limelight on and off the screen. And just like the showbiz industry, the 27-year-old will at times overshadow the lead actress with a performance #Badminton #Chetan Anand #inthespotlight #Jwala Gutta #Pullela Gopichand #Saina Nehwal
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Saina loses a mentor, and India an unsung hero
When Saina Nehwal takes the court to play her first match of the World Championships, she’ll say a silent prayer – not for victory but for a 69-year-old gentleman Mir Mahboob Ali, the man who introduced her to the game of badminton. Mahboob Ali, whose demise in Hyderabad last week went #Aparna Popat #Badminton #InMemorium #Pullela Gopichand #Saina Nehwal