NEW DELHI:
Ashwini Ponnappa
has been the flagbearer of Indian
badminton
in women's doubles for over a decade. Having forged a world-class partnership with now-retired
Jwala Gutta
, where the doubles duo won historic medals at the Commonwealth Games and World Championships, Ashwini, now 34, is gearing up for her third Olympics in Paris with a partner 15 years younger to her -
Tanisha Crasto
.
After representing India with Jwala at two successive Olympics in London and Rio,
Ashwini
missed the bus for the Tokyo Games in 2020. But after pairing up with
Tanisha
in January last year, not only she found an able ally but managed to secure a prized Olympics spot after going through a gruelling qualification pathway. The duo is currently the highest-ranked Indian women's doubles pair in the
BWF
chart.
"It's been an ongoing partnership with Tanisha and we have put in a lot of effort to get to a point to have the opportunity to represent at the Olympic Games. We have grown quite a bit over the past one year since we started playing together. For us, our goal has been to perform and look at opportunities as and when they present themselves. It has been a constant effort for us," Ashwini told TOI in an interview.
"I believe our chemistry on-the-court is going great. We both are open to learning on the go. That understanding makes it work for both of us and helps us gain confidence," she added.
Before Tanisha, Ashwini had
N Sikki Reddy
as her doubles partner after the two came together in 2018. They tasted relatively decent success on the tour, having won bronze at the 2018 Gold Coast CWG. However, injury setbacks, coupled with bouts of illness, led to some forgettable performances in 2019 and the duo failed to qualify for Tokyo.
After taking a brief break from the court, Ashwini began the partnership with Tanisha and the duo had some success at a couple of Super 100 Series and Challenger meets before securing their berth for Paris. "I have enjoyed both my partnerships and the style of both the players. The energy levels are different and now playing with an upcoming athlete is a new learning curve for me and I enjoy this phase too.
Asked about the feeling of representing the country at her third Olympics, Ashwini seemed excited about her prospects. "I am looking forward to doing whatever it takes to give the best that both my partner and I can give there. The Indian contingent, as a whole, has a great chance in Paris. We are all working hard to win the medal for India, this is a dream for any athlete," she added.
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