Boria Majumdar with Pullela Gopichand in Paris Olympics 2024 (PC: RevSportz)
India’s badminton players began their campaign at the 2024 Paris Olympics on a strong note. The doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty secured a straight-sets victory, while Lakshya Sen also won his match comfortably in the men’s singles. However, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa were defeated in their opening match in the women’s doubles. Pullela Gopichand, the national head coach, expressed his views on India’s performance in an exclusive interview with RevSportz’s Editor-in-Chief, Boria Majumdar.
Gopichand expressed his satisfaction with the way Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya Sen started their campaign, noting the importance of acclimatising to different conditions in a big tournament. Despite the nerves and unique environment, the players managed to secure crucial wins on the first day. “I think it is always tricky and it is good to get the first day out with good wins,” he said. “Satwik-Chirag against the French crowd also. I think it is important that they started off well and they kind of winded it up. Same was the case with Lakshya. I think he had a tricky second game but I think as Lakshya is always brilliant. He comes back strongly especially when he is down, he played fantastic.”
In a conversation with Satwik and Chirag, Satwik mentioned to Boria that this was his first match in a long time without any injury, which made him very happy. “He really worked hard, as he had an entire ecosystem around with coaches, physios, trainers,” said Gopichand. “I think we have actually gone on to put him back and congratulations to the support staff for getting him here without any niggles at this moment and I am happy to see that coming back.” Although a bit rusty at first, Satwik and Chirag quickly made corrections and looked sharp.
Regarding HS Prannoy, Gopichand praised his resilience in overcoming Chikungunya and other past pains. He highlighted Prannoy’s dedication and effort to be in good shape despite the challenges. “I think I am super pleased with the way things have gone,” said Gopichand. “Of course, without that, he would have been far better off. But I think with the injury, with the Chikungunya, I think I am pleased that he is here and whatever we have is a bonus and we are hoping we will pull out some matches and let us see because you can practice, you can feel good but once you get on court is real, where the real test is and I am hoping.
“The first day of training, we finished and then I said fantastic, this is the plan we work things out and then a few minutes later, a day later in the morning, I get a call: 104 temperature. So, I think that he has done well. I am happy the way he has come back. Fingers crossed. I think if things go well, he could do well. He has surprised many, including me in the past and I am hoping.”
On the topic of PV Sindhu, Gopichand said: “She is a strong contender for a medal. The draw looks favourable for her and I’m very confident in her abilities.” He also emphasised on the high expectations from Satwik-Chirag and their potential to make India proud. “I think there are good teams other than Satwik and Chirag as well,” he said. “But, definitely one of the brightest contenders in the draw for a medal.”