Seville meet an education: Bajaj

By S. Thyagarajan

CHENNAI, JUNE 12. There is no substitute for long term preparation, physical fitness and ability to peak at the right moment. Unless we pay attention to these important aspects mere skill, which our players have in abundance, cannot succeed in high voltage competitions.

This was the assessment of Ashok Bajaj, manager of the Indian team to the World badminton championships at Seville (Spain). Full of admiration for the effort put in by the players, Bajaj felt only hardwork and consistency would help Indians come anywhere near the Chinese, Indonesians and Danes.

``We were all banking on Gopi. Yet he lost despite a 6-1 lead in the first game,'' Bajaj said regretfully. But he hastened to add that Gopi was undoubtedly the only Indian to be spoken of in the higher echelons of contemporary badminton. Referring to the fact that Gopi had beaten Chinese Chen Hong at the All England Championships recently, Bajaj wondered at how well the Chinese had analysed Gopi's game and framed tactics to prevail over Gopi at Seville.

Bajaj, however, conceded that Gopi had problems with his shoes and had blisters on his foot. These minor handicaps did not bother Gopi much who used his vast experience in putting up a good fight. But Chen was unstoppable that day Bajaj added.

While acknowledging that Spain had rolled out the red carpet for the players Bajaj was somewhat disappointed with the accommodation given to the Indians at Seville. The team was put up in a hotel about 30kms from the venue and the players spent over 35-45 minutes commuting daily. This took a heavy toll of their energy. He added that even the weather was hot and dry, and the players were forced to play in a non-airconditioned stadium. Bajaj was all praise for the way the Danes managed to put up such a splendid performance in that kind of weather.

Bajaj marvelled at the style, system and fitness levels of the Chinese, Indonesians and Danes. He reiterated that compared to these players the Indians were not devoting much time and energy. He also wondered whether it would be possible to have coaching camps in India for about eight months before a major event like the World championships. Describing the Seville tour as an education, Bajaj added that merely playing more tournaments was not enough. What he advocated was for the Badminton Association of India to organise few major internationals involving the Chinese, Indonesians and Danes. In fact he added that the vice- president of the International Badminton Federation, Mr. Punch Gunalan, had advised India to bid for the Thomas Cup after the Australian edition next year.

Bajaj paid handsome tributes to the three coaches, Md. Arif, Ganguly Prasad and Sanjay Sharma for their commitment and devotion in shaping the players under their care. He said the team was a good blend of youth and experience, which was the aim of BAI, but said the focus should hereafter be only on the best combination based on expertise and exposure in international competitions. He said the team was exemplary when it came to discipline.

Bajaj, who is secretary of the Tamil Nadu Badminton Association, said everything went on smoothly despite the hiccups at the start, when Abhin Shyam Gupta lost his passport in Bangalore, and Sanjay Sharma missed his luggage on arrival in Spain. Everything, however, was sorted out in the quickest possible time.

He added that youngsters like Meenakshi, Jwala and Sruthi Kurien gained immensely from this meet. He agreed that victories like the one Gopichand earned in the All England Championships would give greater motivation to others. Bajaj said BAI should direct all its energies in preparing the team for the next Thomas Cup competition.

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