NEW DELHI: Chief national badminton coach
Pullela Gopichand
on Tuesday offered advice to Indian players, urging them not to become overly fixated on Paris
Olympic qualification
.
Gopichand emphasised the importance of focusing on the process and avoiding unnecessary pressure as the Olympic qualification berths will be determined on April 28.
The qualification rankings will be released on that date, with singles players within the top 16 securing a spot in the Olympics.
Gopichand's guidance encourages players to concentrate on their performance and not be overwhelmed by the outcome, fostering a mindset that prioritises the journey over the end result.
"I think the Olympics still have a long way to go. There are still about eight tournaments to play. I don't think it's right to go after that as a player," Gopichand told reporters.
"I think it's too much pressure unnecessarily to start thinking about the race to Paris as a primary role.
"I think it's important to stick to the process, I think the points, the rankings, and the qualification will take care of itself. That's how I would want the players to look at it.
"Because everybody is asking the same question. Everyone's saying the big one is Paris. I think if you do the right things every day, Paris will come and we won't have a problem."
The men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankiredddy and
Chirag Shetty
, along with singles player Prannoy, are currently in a favorable position for securing a berth in the
Paris Olympics
. Additionally, Lakshya Sen and
Kidambi Srikanth
are contending for the second spot in men's singles, adding to the competitive scenario.
In women's badminton,
PV Sindhu
, a double Olympic medallist, is making a comeback from injury. Meanwhile, women's doubles pairs, including Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand and Ashwini Ponnappa/Tanisha Crasto, are engaged in the battle to secure a place within the top 16 rankings by April for Olympic qualification.
The competition within the
Indian badminton
contingent intensifies as players strive to meet the criteria for participating in the prestigious Paris Olympics.
"As a coach, it's important that you keep pushing the players, and you expect more from the players," Gopichand continued.
"We've had a great year, we had some very good wins in events that matter whether it's World Championships, whether it's the Asian Games, I think we did well there.
"This year the big one is the Olympics and hopefully we can get a big contingent there and win some good medals."
'Prannoy, real hero'
Prannoy has had an outstanding season, marked by significant achievements in badminton. His notable accomplishments include winning maiden bronze medals at both the World Championships and Asian Games.
Prannoy also secured a historic Super 500 title at the Malaysia Masters, showcasing his prowess on the international stage.
In team events, Prannoy played pivotal roles in India's success, contributing to the triumph at the Thomas Cup and earning a silver medal in both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games team events.
His consistent and impactful performances have not only brought personal success but have also contributed significantly to India's success in team competitions, solidifying his status as a key player in Indian badminton.
"He's always been somebody who's been level-headed, realistic," Gopichand said.
"Yes, he was unfortunate. He has health issues that sometimes flare up, and he has to battle. He has understood his body a lot better over the years and it's really good.
"He's always been hovering around there with a performance or two. He's contributed quite a bit whether it's the Badminton Asia Championships, Thomas Cup or Asian Games. So I'm happy for him and I think he can beat anybody.
"It is very impressive. He is a real hero in my heart. I'm proud of him. And I think he should be able to claim even more than that."
Gopi hails player-turned-coaches
Former CWG medallists RMV Gurusaidutt and Parupalli Kashyap have taken up coaching, and training the likes of Prannoy and Srikanth and Gopichand said it is a great sign for Indian badminton.
"One of the challenges which I had was at one point I had about 6-7 players in the top 30 and I wasn't able to give enough time to each of them. So I think this just gives them that freedom to have coaches who are working exclusively for them.
"For the first time, we are seeing some top players coming back directly to the National camp. We've had coaches, I'm not saying we didn't have Indian coaches before, but they were not working with the national team all the time.
"So I think it helps that players are turning into coaches. I am super happy."
Priyanshu Rajawat on Tuesday stunned Sen to enter the second round of the India Open super 750 and Gopichand feels he has the weapon to do well in future.
"He has the speed. Today, you might have seen him also have the quality of strokes which are impressive. But there is a lot more to it than just having the weapons.
"He's had some good wins but he needs to be consistent. But with a game like that, it is not very easy to be consistent. But if he gets consistent, he could be there for a long time. The quicker he stabilises, I think it'd be very good."
(With PTI inputs)
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