EXCLUSIVE
It was 10:08pm in South Korea when the call came. We had been trying to connect for close to an hour, but each time the call would drop. This was because Pullela Gopichand, Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were on the bus to Incheon Airport, where they would stay the night in a hotel before flying to Japan on Monday afternoon to get ready for the Japan Open. Within an hour of winning the Korea Open in Yeosu, the trio had boarded the bus for Incheon. It was a seven-hour-long bus journey, and evidence of the commitment and passion they have for the sport. It was just as they were planning to grab some food that we managed to have a detailed conversation on the win and the way forward.
Excerpts
Boria: So, how far are you all, because it isn’t easy to play a final and then travel seven hours by bus, and fly again tomorrow?
Gopi: We are still about two hours from Incheon airport, and that’s where we will stay the night and then rest up tomorrow morning before we fly to Japan in the afternoon. The boys will train the day after morning, and we are back to the grind again.
Boria: So, have you eaten or not?
(Just as I asked this question, I could hear the sounds of laughter).
Gopi: Not yet, but we have packed some food. It was difficult to get Indian food in Yeosu, but somehow we managed to get it and that’s the celebration for Satwik tonight. As you know, Satwik needs his Indian food and I am glad we could get things packed. Chirag is more adventurous, and between him and me, we will grab some local food whenever the bus stops.
Satwik: We have discussed this before, but yes, I do love my Indian food and I am sorted because my food is packed!
Chirag: There have been occasions when I have accompanied Satwik to an Indian restaurant, and then he has accompanied me to another restaurant! He doesn’t like anything else, but I am one to try out stuff, so while his food is packed, Gopi Sir and I will have ours on the way.
Boria: Incredible way to celebrate, I must say. But that Gangnam dance has gone viral in India!
Satwik: Yes, and we were thrilled to see the crowd get behind it!
Boria: Gopi, now that you have started to travel again with the boys, tell me about the experience. Back to hands-on coaching, and the results have been fantastic.
Gopi: The transition has been seamless. While it is great to be back, and see them win back-to-back tournaments, I have to say that at no point in time was I away. I used to watch every single game either on television or on YouTube, and analyse every single match with them. So at no point did I feel I was away. But yes, to be back on tour is something different and so far, it has been very good.
Boria: A follow-up question for you before I go to the champions. You have said to me in the past that these two are capable of dominating world badminton. Would you care to elaborate?
Gopi: Yes, I have said this to you, and I hold on to what I said. These two can dominate world badminton in a way few can or have. They have a complete game, and it is an absolute pleasure to see them play and dominate. In most pairs, there is one player who is a good attacker. Here, both of them are. And when smashes are coming at you at the speed of 500 km/h, there is no one who can feel comfortable. Second, their serves and return of serve have improved a few notches in the last couple of months, and opponents aren’t able to figure them out or deal with them. If they are able to stay fit, there is no reason why we will not have some more great results coming our way in the next few months.
Boria: Coming to the match, it wasn’t the best start for you both. And then from 19-10, you just came back like crazy. Can you tell me a little more about what transpired then?
Chirag: Yes, you are right about the start. We did not start off that well, and it was in the second half of the first game that things started falling in place. It was very important to start well and win the second game, and we are happy that we did so and could keep the momentum until the very end. We are both extremely happy that we could win consecutive titles, and have now followed up the Indonesia Open win with this one. Winning is a habit, and we hope to keep continuing in the same manner going forward.
Satwik: It has been a very good week for us. If you see from the very first match that we played, we have played consistently well throughout the week. That’s what you want to do as players – play well consistently, and make sure that your standards don’t drop. Coming to the final, I am very happy with the performance today. We were always confident we could come back, and that’s what helped. Now even if we lose the first game, we know we have the ability to win the next two and win the match. We want to continue with the same momentum this week at the Japan Open. Like Gopi Sir mentioned to you, we will reach Incheon in some time, rest up the night and the morning and then travel to Japan tomorrow afternoon. I also want to say the crowd in Yeosu was amazing, and the support we are now getting back home in India is fantastic. People are following the sport closely, and I want to say thank you to everyone for all the support.
Boria: They will soon be the world No. 2 pair and clearly are the team to beat at the moment. But when I see the schedule, I feel a tad worried. There is the Japan Open, the World Championships, and the Asian Games, with hardly a break in between.
Gopi: Yes, it will be very tough to maintain this level of intensity and this quality of play day in, day out. Add the travel, and it becomes very tough on the body. But then they know what it entails, and they know they are capable. We will do our best to ensure they train and rest well, and stay fit and energised. If we can do all of it, I can tell you there will be a number of very good results coming our way in the next two months.
Boria: Thanks a lot again for your time, and please do eat something as soon as possible!
