Pullela Gopichand just keeps on going, from one dream to another

It has been an exceptional week for Indian badminton. In fact, the last time the sport had attracted so much interest in the country was when PV Sindhu was playing in the final of the Olympic Games last year. However, this time, it was not Sindhu who was the cynosure of all eyes. Neither was it India’s best badminton player of recent times, Saina Nehwal.

This time, it was the young brigade of India who had made the headlines. In the early hours of the ‘Super’ Sunday, B Sai Praneeth and Kidambi Srikanth featured in the first all-Indian Super Series final at the Singapore Open Super Series. Hours later, some 900 Km south, in Jakarta, five teenaged prodigies brought pride to the country by claiming podium finishes at the 2017 International Junior Grand Prix.

Gayatri Gopichand, Samiya Imad Farouqui, Kavipriya Selvam Meghana Reddy and Vikas Yadav, all of whom are under 15 years of age, secured medals in various events.

Altogether, the Indian shuttlers claimed eight medals on Sunday, two by the seniors and six by the juniors. There has not been a more productive week in terms of the number of medals won by Indians in the sport and behind all of this, pulling the strings was one man – Pullela Gopichand. This particular feat also made him the coach with the most number of BWF medals won in a single calendar week, beating the previous record of 7.

A long way to go, still

He would be pleased, there is no doubt in that. But it is almost a surity that he will not be overly pleased. Yes, his students have performed well, exceptionally well, in fact. But still, there is work to be done. It is not yet over. Just as, it was not over when Saina won the bronze medal at the London Olympic Games. Just as, it was not over when Sindhu won the silver medal at the Rio Olympic Games.

One single quote from Gopichand is enough to serve as testimony to this. While he did heap considerable praise on both Sai Praneeth and Srikanth it was evident that he already had his eyes set on the future. Speaking to the PTI after Sai Praneeth’s win over Srikanth yesterday, the 43-year-old said, “I am very proud of them (Praneeth, Srikanth), they reaching the finals. It is a big tournament to win. He (Praneeth) is still young. He has many years ahead of him. It will hopefully give him the confidence to play at another level.”

“If you look at his career, he has some big wins. He has beaten Taufik, Lee Chong Wei, he has beaten many of them, so he has the quality but he needs consistency,” he added. Just there it was. Yes, you have had a good match, a good tournament, but is not yet the finish line. You still have to improve and win more medals for the country.

Gopichand will ask for more consistency from Sindhu

What can we say about this man? We can sing his praises, we can give him all the awards, but in the end, it will be still too less. What he has done for the sport in this country is incredible, mind-blowing, in fact.

Right from his playing days, Gopichand has been giving it his all for the country. He won the silver medal for the team and the bronze medal in the singles event at the Commonwealth Games in 1998. Then, in 2001, he tasted the biggest success of his career when he became only the second Indian to win the All England Open Badminton Championships at Birmingham.

After retiring, in 2008, he reportedly mortgaged his own house to open the Gopichand Badminton Academy. Since then, he has not looked back.

Producing new talents year after year is no easy task. Many would have thought, ‘Okay, here’s the Olympic medal, I have done enough for the country already.’ But not Gopichand.

Just a few days back, he was speaking about the future prospects of the sport in India. He was talking about how India’s future in the sport was secure and how in four years India will have solid bench strength in women's singles. It is the confidence that he has in not only himself but also his students that led him to make such a bold statement.

On Sunday, he had realised the second goal of his coaching career. The first dream was to win an Olympic medal which, of course, thanks to Saina and Sindhu he has lived twice. The second was to see two Indians fight it out in a Super Series final.

The fact that he did not travel to watch the final between Sai Praneeth and Kidambi so that the training of the others would not be affected also tells a lot about his character.

If you are of the opinion that this is the Golden Age of badminton in the country, then you couldn’t be more wrong. Because Gopichand is not yet done. Because Gopichand has only one thing in his mind. He might well be reciting the last few lines of that Robert Frost poem. What was it, again?

“But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.”