Pullela Gopichand has been in the news the last few days. After his comments on who should play sport in India went viral, we have seen many different interpretations of it in the media. It is with great pleasure that we announce that Gopichand is coming to the Trailblazers Conclave next week, to interact with the audience on each of the issues he has raised.
Why did we pick Gopi? Why is he special? How does he produce a good player, I had asked him once. I was aware the question doesn’t have a straightforward answer. There is no mathematical formula, for then it would be replicated by every country that could afford it.
“What do you understand by a champion?” Gopi asked me in return. And before I could say a word, he started speaking. “By a champion, I understand a player who knows how to keep winning consistently. To know how to win is an art. Everyone at this level can play well. But not everyone knows how to win. At 17-17, all you need to be a little more than a good player is to close out the game. That’s something I think I am good at, and do from behind. That’s what has helped me nurture these players. That’s what was missing in India, and that’s what I have tried to learn over the years. Once they learn the process, I will move on to working on younger men and women who need to be groomed going ahead.”
Very Gopi. Straightforward and simple. Decoding the process as if it wasn’t something really difficult.
Why did Gopi say what he did? And what makes him the best person to say all of it?
Things have not been easy for Gopi. From mortgaging his house to raise money for the academy, and also dealing with his mother’s cancer, every step of the way has been a first in the history of Indian sport. And yet, he stays humble and modest, something that won’t change even if he manages to get India many more medals on the world stage.
And whatever happens, he won’t change. Even the day after winning another major medal, Gopi will still be at the academy at 5 am in the morning with racket and shuttle in hand, trying to think of how to improve further. “The goal is not medals, you know,” he will tell you. “Medals are just one aspect of the story. Sport helps us in a number of intangible ways. It helps us become better men and women and, most importantly, deal with crisis better. When you fail an exam, you don’t come out of your homes and, in extreme cases, die by suicide.
“Sport gives you multiple chances. Your loss is public, so you can’t really run away from it. All you do is pull yourself up, seek family support and come back the next morning to try and rectify our mistakes. And when you do so, you are already a winner. Everyone who plays sport is a winner. Not always do you have to win medals. If we all come to terms with this aspect of sport, we would be a better society.”
And who better than P Gopichand, modern-day guru, for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tata Steel Trailblazers Conclave?
Also Read: The thought behind the Trailblazers Conclave