'My injuries drive me to do well': Aditi Mutatkar

Aditi Mutatkar

It’s a homecoming of sorts for ADITI MUTATKAR. The world No.74, who spent much of her teens and early twenties at the K Raheja Stadium where the Prakash Padukone Academy is based, will be defending her national championship title on the same courts. Aditi came up the junior ranks along with Saina Nehwal – and while Saina has shot to international prominence, Aditi’s career had a different trajectory. The one defining feature of Aditi’s career has been frequent injury. At 17, she suffered a serious ACL injury which required surgery and months of rehab. With a relatively short frame (she’s 5 ft 3”), the 24-year-old Puneiite has also had to contend with the lack of big weapons, but she makes up for those deficiencies with a big heart. At the international level, her best was a ranking of No.27 in 2008, the year in which she reached the final of the Bitburger Open by chalking up a semifinal win over Julianne Schenk (now world No.7). She’s also had some impressive victories over players like Ai Goto (Japan) and Maria Febe (Indonesia) to her credit. Excerpts from an interview with Dev S Sukumar:

You’re defending your national title here at Bangalore…

I haven’t played too much in the domestic circuit lately, but everybody’s playing well. PV Sindhu’s doing well, and Sayali (Gokhale) and Neha (Pandit) are playing well. I’m looking forward to it. Bangalore’s like playing on home court, it’s almost like playing in Pune. You know everyone, and they want you to do well. The courts and setting and everything are perfect for the tournament. Bangalore is pretty close to my heart. The conditions are good, there is no drift or breeze. You can play good badminton here.

How did the national title change your life?

I was struggling for four-five years due to injury. In my first national final, I lost to Saina. People were expecting me to win the nationals. I had already won the other age categories, like the under-13, under-16, under-19… this was the only title that eluded me. So it was like completing a circle. The win didn’t register at first. People around me were so happy, and it was only then that it sunk in… internationally it didn’t make a big difference, confidence-wise, because the level is different.

You were very emotional after winning the title last year…

it was a pressure match. Arundhati Pantwane was favourite, she’d beaten me in the team event. There was a lot of pressure on me, because I wanted to win badly. I lost the first game to Arundhati. In the second game I was down two match points, 20-18. I came back and won the second, and then the third game… it just went. I was in a zone and just ended it. I was so emotional, I cried for half-an-hour after the match.

Are you happy with your results over the last year?

I went to Pune before the nationals; I got a good trainer there for my knee. The important thing for me is to keep fit, as far as the knee is concerned. After the nationals, I had three good results internationally. I played the quarters of the Indonesia Challenger, then the quarters of the Singapore Challenger; in Vietnam Grand Prix I beat (no.22) Ai Goto (Goto had earlier beaten Saina Nehwal at the India Open). After that, I had another injury in Bulgaria, where I had a meniscus tear, and was out for 1- ½ months. I came back for the Tata Open in Mumbai, where I got to the quarterfinal.

You’ve had a couple of major injuries. How do you handle it?

I take it in a positive way. I think I’m the blessed one, because I believe if God wanted me to stop playing, I would’ve stopped after my first injury. Just the fact that I’ve kept going after two surgeries and a torn meniscus — in the same leg…. I think I like to fight. My injuries inspire me. Because if I do what I do after coming back from injury, I get more appreciation. In 2008 I was No.27 in the world; Saina was No.20. My injuries drive me to do well; I take it as an incentive to push harder. If I do well in the international circuit, it will be rewarding when I look back.

For someone who is physically active, how hard is it to be confined to bed when you’re recovering?

Now I’m kind of used to it. Earlier it was difficult. I was young when I had these injuries, so for me it was like everybody’s playing and you’re sitting in bed. As you grow older, you realize it doesn’t make a difference. If you have the will you can come back and reach the same level. I was 17 when I had my first major injury, and when I came back I got back to No.2 in the country. But internationally it doesn’t work like that. An injury can set you back. That’s frustrating.

How has your training changed over the years?

I used to love running; I had to stop that because my knee gets wobbly if I do a lot of running. But I can do shadows, and I concentrate on on-court drills. I have to balance what I do. I can’t jump too much on court either. I know what I had to do, and what I don’t. When I was injured at 17, there was nobody to tell me what was right or wrong. For four-five years I struggled alone because I didn’t have enough information. The last two years were different because I have a personal trainer, and he knows how to push me. I now do a lot of weight training to keep my legs strong.

Has your thinking around the game evolved as well?

Over the last two years, even at the national level, everybody’s playing a more attacking game. Everyone’s smashing hard and tossing hard, and pushing the pace. Earlier, I used to play a rally type of game, trying to force my opponents to make mistakes. Now that’s changed. Everybody’s fitter and faster, and because of Saina we all know what the standard is. It’s good, because internationally we have to play that kind of game.

You are probably the best-read of the current crop of Indian badminton players…

(Laughs) I cannot live without books. My bed has at least one book on it. I don’t really do anything much when I’m training. Like you can’t watch TV, and only thing you can do is listen to music and read. I think it’s good because it makes you realize this (badminton) is not it. There are people doing so much, and reading makes my horizon really big, and there’s so much to look forward to when you realize this is not the end of everything.

I love autobiographies. My top favourite is Lance Armstrong. I read Steve Jobs biography; it was an eye-opener. It showed that greatness is not equal to being a good person. I’ve also read Subroto Bagchi recently. I love Ayn Rand, I can read Fountainhead any number of times.