India's CWG hero Kashyap eyes medals in world c'ship, Asiad

Hyderabad: After winning an elusive gold at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games, ace Indian shuttler Parupalli Kashyap is now eyeing a medal at the upcoming World Championship and Asian Games. Kashyap, who returned home yesterday after achieving the historic feat at Glasgow, said his priority is to recover from the gruelling 11-day tournament and become match fit before heading to Denmark. “I always set short term goals. Right now, it is the world championship and the Asian Games for me. I need to be fit for these two events,” Kashyap told PTI in an interview. [caption id=“attachment_1652657” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] AFP[/caption] The 27-year-old etched his name firmly in the history books by becoming the first Indian male shuttler in 32 years to win a gold in the Commonwealth Games. The shuttler from Hyderabad thus joined badminton legend Prakash Padukone and the late Syed Modi, who had won the title in the past. While Padukone had won the men’s singles gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Canada, Modi retained it four years later. Asked what does this medal means to him, Kashyap said: “It (the Gold Medal) means everything to me. It is a very big achievement in my career. I am very happy”. There was a lot of pressure on Kashyap being the top Indian shuttler, but he said he always plays better under pressure and hoped to do well at the World Championship, which starts on 25 August at Copenhagen. “I have not thought about it (pressure) yet. I am happy that I have won this medal. I am going to prepare for the World Championship and I have always done well under pressure. If I feel pressure, then I think it is a positive thing for me”. Kashyap, who won the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in 2012, said there are several areas that he needs to improve upon before heading to Copenhagen. “There are a lot of areas that I need to improve and I will keep working on them,” Kashyap, who is currently ranked world number 22 in men’s singles, said. When pointed out that competition at the international level is increasingly getting tougher, he said the only way he could stay ahead was by working harder. “The only way is to get tougher. Then it becomes easier. So, if I work hard in training then it will be easier for me,” said Kashyap, who overcame a nagging asthma problem, to play the sport. Asked if he felt there is not enough time to prepare for the big tournaments like World Championship and Asian Games, Kashyap replied in the negative. “I don’t feel the time is short. Whatever I have done, I have done to the maximum of my potential till now. I will keep trying my best,” he said. PTI