“It was really close. A medal would have changed a lot of things for me,” quips Kidambi Srikanth. The expression on his face? Could have either been a smile or a painful cringe. “But it was a lesson learnt.”
One hour and eight minutes of defiance. And for every 4080 of those seconds, Kidambi Srikanth had a whole nation feel every heart beat. Succulent smashes, dogged defence and the delectable net play were the calls of the day. But even those were not enough.
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The Olympic Games are never easy and so proved the Rio sojourn, a quarter-final clash even more so; up against Lin Dan, the Chinese wizard who has seen and done it all – the climb becomes all the more gruesome.
As well all know by now, Srikanth didn’t make it. But he certainly did make a statement. And it was certainly not the first time.
His first claim to fame came in 2014 when he tamed the Chinese dragon, Lin Dan in his own backyard. A surge up to number three in the world and heavy praise from Dan himself was to follow.
“In recent times, he is undoubtedly the most complete player I have seen.” Heavy words but certainly a lot to rejoice. He was certainly on course to become the best ever men’s singles player India has ever produced – a big claim but justifiable by many means.
But something always seemed to have held him back – be it injuries or lack of consistency. And when he lost to a qualifier, China’s Zhao Junpen in the first round of the All England Championship in March, many feared he might be lost in the wilderness. Some in the media had even questioned whether he was stuck in reverse gear.
The new Hidayat?
But those fears were quickly allayed by the 24-year-old's performances of late. Two wins and three consecutive appearances in the finals of Superseries events in Singapore (where he lost to Sai Praneeth), Indonesia and Australia has made sure that the man of the moment in badminton circles in none other than Kidambi Srikanth.
And the man on the rise has seen himself being compared to the great Taufik Hidayat and that comes from none other than Mulyo Hondoyo, who had earlier groomed the Indonesian master himself. But speaking to Sportskeeda, Srikanth is quick to dismiss them.
“You know you always feel flattered when you get such praise. And especially coming from him.
“But I really don’t want to compare myself with him. He is such a huge legend in our sport. I really have so much more to achieve just to reach that level,” states the 24-year-old.
But his chemistry with Hondoyo is there for all to see. Roped in by Pullela Gopichand to ease the pressure off his shoulders early April, the timing couldn’t have been any better. Kidambi has just gone leaps and bound with the Indonesian master in his corner.
They are like a new couple, constantly praising each other and feeding off of the positive vibes that emanate around the dressing room.
“His method of training has really suited me I feel,” tells Srikanth. “And I think sometimes it's all about timing. When the right people enter your life at the right time. And he came at a time where I was really looking to take the next step and he wanted the same for me. So everything aligned."
The comeback
Whilst the Olympic exit was painful, the coming months would push Srikanth to the brink.
The youngster had taken to the court quickly following the Olympics – something he was refusing to get stuck on.
But in Japan, things took a turn for the worse. The man from Guntur injured his ankle at the Japan Open and further aggravated it in the Korean Open in October. That led to three months off the radar, a loss in the rankings as well as in rhythm.
And that showed when he played initially in March. The frustration was written large on his face and the moans and the groans though not audible, were felt in the hearts of all Indian badminton fans.
But that proved to be the calm before the storm. Ask the man and all your fear might be rested forever.
"Yes, it was tough. But I firmly believed that I can reach and go to this level,” states Srikanth. “But I really didn’t feel this would happen so quickly and so early."
So what happened? Where did the burst come from? How does Srikanth Kidambi transform from the pretender to the supreme contender?
"It was about getting better I feel. And I got better," he says. "The preparation during my time off the circuit proved crucial. Initially, I really didn’t want to push myself. I just tried to keep it easy. I didn't think about the rankings and coming tournaments All I wanted to do was train and improve. I think that mentality really helped me a lot.”
However, in all his struggles, he was not the only man going through the grind. It was a grind mentally for all around. For people who believed in him and yet had to be cautious of not pushing the prodigious talent too much before he is able to take it and above all, believing in his abilities. As Kumble said, they were mirrors for the man who was eager to “improve”.
“My physio, Kiran and the coaches and the doctors at those times kept a watchful eye on me. I have to really thank them.
“They took real good care of me. Even when I was keen to start, my physio would monitor me closely and saw that I didn’t really push myself for any tournament.
“They helped me keep focus and for one and a half to two months, I just concentrated on training and improving; nothing else.
“I felt like I was starting from scratch. Just following their inputs.”
The mental challenge and India’s rise
Whilst Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu have been at the forefront of all the laurels that the game of badminton has gathered for the nation, the men are coming to the front as well.
Parupalli Kashyap was the main man a few years back. But that mantle has been taken over by the genius. But it’s not only Srikanth who is shining. The triumvirate of Ajay Jayaram, Sai Praneeth and HS Prannoy are making waves, if not big ones. Then there are the Verman brothers and someone by the name of Lakshya Sen, who finished as the World No. 1 in the juniors at the end of last year.
But this has been a long time coming.
“We are all doing well as a team. Both in doubles as well as singles. Can’t say we are dominating. But we are getting better every day. We need a lot of time and need to be consistent in the coming days to make a real mark on the world stage,” says Srikanth.
“We have spent a few years now on the circuit and we have matured. We have started to understand the finer points, the nuances of the game.
“Not only physically, but also mentally. Speaking about myself, I think I can anticipate much better than I did a few years back. I try to be a few steps ahead of the game.
“Badminton is as challenging mentally as it is physically and a big part of are the big moments. You can’t be afraid of them. But it doesn’t always go your way. And on those occasions, you have to just let them go. You have to just brush that off and move forward. You can’t keep thinking about those points; can’t get stuck in those moments.
“Those are things that make a huge difference. Focus at that moment is that needed”
And Srikanth thoroughly believes in the joy of giving. Being touted as one with enormous potential, he is looking to help the coming generation of Indian shuttlers.
“You know the difference between me from a few years back and now is what I told you, I think I understand the game better. I know how to play at the top level and if and when any of our county’s youngster wants to pick my brain, I am all for it.
“We have five to six shuttlers who really showing promise at the junior stage. The youngsters are really doing well. We also have a youngster in the country who has been the Junior World Number One.
“It’s a big leap from the Juniors to the Seniors. I would really like to see them make the jump. It’s a huge transformation. You lose some time in the early rounds and you start to question your own abilities. That’s where I feel seniors like us should be there.
“But if I am to tell them one thing, it would be ‘there is no alternative to training.’ There are no shortcuts. It’s that simple.”
For long, Srikanth has been touted as ‘the next big thing’ in Indian badminton. For many sports enthusiasts, he had the potential to be ‘the next big thing’ in Indian sports let alone badminton. And it’s all coming together it seems.
The new version of Srikanth looks better and is accompanied by an insatiable appetite for success. And his last words to me just confirmed the same.
Long term and short term plans? "I just want to win more."
