News, India: Pullela Gopichand, the former All England badminton champion, is the man who coached PV Sindhu to her historic silver at the Rio Olympics, and Saina Nehwal to her bronze at the London Olympics in 2012. He speaks to Dinesh Akula about creating an Indian powerhouse in badminton, his plans for the Gopichand Academy, and the prospects for Indian sport.
In London 2012 it was Saina Nehwal, in Rio 2016 it was PV Sindhu. Who is the next from Gopichand Academy for Tokyo 2020?
When I entered the academy after coming back from Rio, many players came to me and said that 2020 was theirs. This is a very positive sign. It is very good that we have more competition internally, and more people who aspire. PV Sindhu has inspired them. We have to work hard.
Now you are back from Rio after a successful stint with Sindhu, is it time to relax?
Not really. Now after India’s performance in Olympics badminton, other countries, including China, will be targeting our game. We cannot sit back and relax. We need to develop more and work hard to raise the bar for ourselves so that we can continue with our strength and keep up our name in the game.
Are you happy with the triumphant response to Sindhu’s silver medal victory?
The felicitations, rewards and good wishes have been overwhelming, ever since we landed in India. It’s not just in Hyderabad, people across the country have come together, which is such a positive sign for the game of badminton in India.
Did you do anything different while coaching PV Sindhu for Rio?
Last year there had been some issues with PV Sindhu’s game, and she had less preparation-time for her matches. Luckily, this time we used all the available time to work on her mistakes and defence, and corrected the game. Her confidence developed. The focus was to physically, mentally and tactically turn her into a strong athlete before going to Rio.
You took away Sindhu’s phone for three months, and returned it only after she won the medal. How did you mentally prepare her for Rio?
Yes. She didn’t use her phone for a long time, because it was a distraction. She was focusing only on the game and her target. Luckily, before the Olympics we got two months to prepare, right after qualifications. That time provided a good platform for preparation and she went into the Olympics with lot of confidence.
Did you teach Sindhu to scream on court to show aggression?
We changed her game according to the strategy we developed. She remained calm whenever necessary and also injected aggression when needed. The focus during our preparation was to get physically strong, which helped in developing confidence, so that she could play her game fearlessly. Whenever an opportunity arose, Sindhu was aggressive and focused.
Did you have faith in Sindhu, even when many people did not give her a chance in the Olympics?
Since 2004, Sindhu has been with me. She had been developing into a good player, but because of her inconsistency, people would come to me and ask when she will begin performing well. I had faith in her and started to fully concentrate on her from 2010 onwards. She brought medals in world championships, and when we needed it the most, she delivered in Rio. Whenever she plays, I feel that I am playing. I see myself in her. The fighting spirit and the way she reboots and makes a comeback is very much like me.
Your kids also play badminton. Can we expect another champion from the Gopichand family?
My son is only 12 years old, it is too early to predict. There are many talented youngsters in the country who are playing well. Now Sindhu is an inspiration for all these young people. If they do well and work hard, they can get positive results.
Will you be able to spend more time with the family now? What next for you, in terms of family, and the next badminton challenge?
My target was only the Olympics, and now we are back after the silver medal. We haven’t had much time to sit and talk or work on the next move yet.
About the next challenge, there is a lot to do. Sindhu is very young and has a big future ahead her. If she continues the hard work, she will do well in future competitions too.