Date:03/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/03/stories/2008070360232300.htm

Sport - Badminton

Gopi Chand confident of a good show by Saina

V.V. Subrahmanyam

HYDERABAD: Pullela Gopi Chand, chief national coach, and his protégé Saina Nehwal are playing the waiting game for the time being. They have decided to put on hold the preparatory plans for the Beijing Olympics for which the 18-year-old Saina has qualified.

In a chat with The Hindu, after a tough session at Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Gopi Chand said they were waiting for the draw of the Beijing Games to be declared before deciding which country to prefer for the crucial training programme in the run-up to the Games.

“She is young and has the potential to spring a surprise. There is very little difference amongst the top 10 players who have qualified for the Olympics. Most importantly, Saina is playing at the top level of her game. All she needs is three good days in the Games with one or two big wins to pose a real threat to the best in the business,” Gopi said.

“She has the ability to play two more Olympics if everything goes on smoothly. If the draw is favourable, and she plays as she played on the Asian circuit recently, she can do well,” he said.

Best phase

Saina said she was going through the best phase of her career. “Never in three big tournaments on the Asian circuit have I done so well. This I am saying in terms of the high quality game I played. For instance, I was down 1-11 against the World No.1 in Thailand Open semifinals and then levelled the scores at 17-all before making some simple errors,” she said. “And the big lesson I learnt from the Asian circuit was that you have to engage the opponent in rallies rather than try to finish off the match in a hurry,” she said.

“Physically and mentally I am definitely much stronger. It is a dream come true for any sportsperson to represent India in the Olympics. Having achieved that, I am determined to give my best,” Saina said.

With Gopi accompanying her to the Games, it should be a big morale booster. “His simple but effective advice during the breaks, to change my strategy or strokes, makes a lot of difference,” she said.