They have an abundance of talent

HER FAVOURITE dish is soup. That is where Gutta Jwala is landing her rivals, combining beautifully with her childhood friend and doubles partner Shruthi Kurien. The young and enterprising combination is being tipped as the best bet for the future in women's badminton. ``There is no doubt that they look the best prospect because of abundance of talent and temperament,'' says Indian coach S. M. Arif. Well, when the bearded coach feels so, he should know what he is speaking for no one can question his credentials in spotting young, raw talent and transforming them into performing stars.

So, when Jwala and Kurien represented India in the prestigious doing consistently well in both doubles and singles too. The biggest advantage is that they have been playing together for the last five years with a fair degree of consistency. While Jwala is flamboyant both in her approach and game, Kurien prefers to be the silent killer with her wonderful ability to position at the right place in doubles contests to unsettle the rivals. Most importantly they are young and energetic - Jwala is 16 and Kurien 17. That they have the potential to go up the ladder was evident from the way the two scored wins over Sri Lanka and Hong Kong and against Indonesia they were reduced to spectators in the Uber Cup in Delhi recently.``That was a terrible experience. We had to just run around,'' they acknowledged. After the Uber Cup, the two were finalists in the doubles in the senior Nationals in Cochin losing to the experienced Madhumita and P.V.V. Lakshmi.

When Jwala strayed into the badminton court at the age of six after a six-month stint with swimming and a two-year romance with gymnastics, she was not Arif's first choice trainee. But, after six months when he had a second look, he decided to coach her at the age of six. It turned out to be a case of unearthing talent at the right time. The southpaw has a distinctive style - plays the tosses to lure her rival into a long rally and then intercepts with her trademark forehand smashes to telling effect. The fleet-footed girl, born to a Chinese mother (Yelan) and an Andhra father (Kranti), is definitely searching for a fair degree of consistency with confidence and authority. She showed her promise very early winning a doubles title in the under-12 and under-13 sections at the State-level and the under-13 title in the Thrisoor Nationals in 1996. That was just the beginning. Her triple crown in the Krishna Khaitan All India junior tournament last year could well be the turning point. Talent-wise she is one of the brightest on the badminton horizon in the country. Arif says he cannot recall anyone who had beaten three senior players (age wise) and went on to win a National title in the last 30 years. ``Definitely, she is the player to watch out in future,'' he asserts. He is candid enough to point out two grey areas - Jwala's weak backhand and speed. ``She has to work a lot on these aspects for better results,'' he added.

Incidentally, Jwala bagged a triple in the Krishna Khaitan edition in Chennai last year. The 11th standard student of Kendriya Vidyalaya (Golconda) is a very keen learner and receptive to advice. ``This is the essence of training in any discipline,'' says a visibly pleased Arif. Even in singles that she is a force to reckon with is evident from her semi-final appearance in women's section in BPL Grand Prix in Bangalore and winning the under-16 title in the Thane edition.Interestingly, Jwala's doubles partner Kurien is not far behind in terms of promise and performance. The two finished as runner-up in the senior Nationals in Kochi recently to cap a very satisfying season. The second year student of MEC in Villa Marie College is confidence personified about the future. She knows her strong point - create openings - and weaklink in her game - backhand. ``But, I am already on the job to rectify these flaws under the guidance of Arif Sir,'' she says pointedly.

The experience of practising along with seasoned campaigners like P.V.V. Sharada and P.V.V .Lakshmi, and Hyderabad's most famous badminton star P. Gopichand (now he has moved over to Kochin) at Fateh Maidan Indoor Stadium is something they really cherish. ``The cross-court drives of Lakshmi are a treat to watch. I keep discussing to learn about my game,'' she said to another query.

It is not that they want to be confined to doubles only. They are capable of delivering goods in singles too. ``It is not that we ignore singles. We will make our presence felt in that category too,'' both of them emphasised while dismissing the view that playing both doubles and singles would be strenuous. Their next major target is the World Junior championship to be held in September in China.

They have an impressive list of performances in the last six months - doubles semi-finalists in BPL edition in Bangalore last August, winners in State championship, semi-finalists in Asian Satellite championship in Hyderabad last year, finalists in Lucknow Grand Prix, finalists in Pune and semi-finalists in Mumbai and finalists in the senior Nationals, the last major event they participated. The next three years, when this promising doubles combination ventures out to a different plane could well be the most decisive phase in their career. Well, no one is unbeatable is Jwala's philosophy. Performances or lack of them may well make or mar their careers. And, significantly, they are aware of that but still promise to live upto the expectations.

V. V. SUBRAHMANYAM

Hyderabad

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