Indian teenager Saneeth Dayanand training with badminton legend Peter Gade in Denmark

It has been a memorable last couple of weeks for Saneeth Dayanand Shimoga. The Indian teenager annexed his maiden major title when he triumphed at the FZ Forza Alpes Junior International Series badminton tournament in Voiron, France on September 19.

A day after winning his first Under-19 boys singles title overseas, Saneeth Dayanand joined Peter Gade Badminton Academy in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Karnataka youngster Saneeth Dayanand was the surprise packet of the French tournament. Unseeded 18-year-old Saneeth shocked several seeds to prove that he is one of the country's upcoming shuttlers.

Saneeth has been enjoying his training under Peter Gade, says Bhat

Saneeth, who trains under Arvind Bhat at Level Up Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, has been learning new tricks from the Danish legend.

Former national men’s singles champion Arvind Bhat has said that Saneeth’s special coaching in Denmark will immensely help him in the future. Saneeth has been training under Bhat since 2015.

“Saneeth is having a stint with Peter Gade, the former world No. 1 for 10 days. Saneeth started on September 20 and will be there until September 30. It will be a mix of individual (one on one) sessions and group sessions,” said Arvind Bhat while talking to Sportskeeda.

Soon after his return to India, Saneeth will compete at the Raichur Karnataka State Badminton Championships in Bengaluru.

As far as his stint in Copenhagen is concerned, Saneeth is thoroughly enjoying it, stated Bhat, adding that the young lad is getting quality sparring partners during the practice sessions.

Saneeth won the Junior International Series badminton tournament in France on September 19

“Saneeth is enjoying his stint under Peter Gade. I interact with him daily as to what he is learning and how training happens in Denmark. Peter Gade has told me that Saneeth is a good player and has a lot of potential. I am sure after his ten-day stint under Peter Gade, Saneeth’s confidence will be boosted and he will feel a much better player. Saneeth is certainly a bright prospect for Indian badminton,” said Bhat.

Former ace Indian shuttler Bhat is also the head coach for the Bengaluru Raptors, a team in the Premier Badminton League. The former world No. 29, Bhat is quite impressive with the way Saneeth played at the Junior International Series badminton tournament in France a fortnight ago.

“Saneeth had lost to Sankar Muthusamy of Tamil Nadu in the final of the Russian Junior Open a few months ago. He trained hard in the last few weeks and was rewarded with his maiden title. Due to the pandemic and lack of tournaments, players like Saneeth lost several opportunities,” said Bhat.

In the men’s singles summit clash, Saneeth overcame the spirited challenge from Paul Tournefier of France 21-15, 21-9 in 29 minutes. Saneeth upset third seed Simon Baron-Vezilier of France 21-9, 21-15 in the semis. He also accounted for fifth seed Yohan Barbieri in straight games.