Sports In India Archives - Lokmarg

India Realising Importance Of Women In Sports: Sravya Shivani

By LokMarg 3rd December 2022

At the age of six, young Sravya Shivani Chilakalapudi was introduced to the sport of tennis. But with her education becoming a priority, the Hyderabad athlete had had to wait 10 more years to turn professional. Currently pursuing her Masters in Psychology Hons. from the Jain University, Bangalore, Sravya has become a known name in Indian tennis, having recently won the ITF W15 Women’s Double Tournament along with Celine Simunyu in Nairobi.

Sravya, who is competing in the Pro Tennis League Season 4 at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) in New Delhi, said that she is thankful to her parents for supporting her sporting career.

“It was very important for me to have the balance of education and sports, especially coming from an Indian family background. But I am thankful to my parents for being quite open-minded. They were able to support me, fund me, and helped in becoming a professional athlete,” the 22-year-old, who is playing for Lucknow Aviators in PTL 4 said.

Despite still being a young player, Sravya is a part of the ITF’s World Women’s Tennis Player Panel representing Asia/Oceania and has been quite vocal about the participation and rights of women’s tennis players in Asia.

“On the women’s tour, there are not enough mentors because it is such a competitive field. We are all so busy that no one really has time. Asia has really little representation on the Women’s panel as it is dominated by Europeans. I wanted to be someone who brings Asia to light, as we are equally talented and deserve equal opportunities,” Sravya said.

She further went on to explain the importance of having a younger athlete as part of the panel. “Sports is a vicious cycle, as you can make money after reaching the top, but you need to invest money to reach the top. A young athlete’s struggles are very different from those of senior ones. Hence, to make our voices heard, it is important for young players to use all the platforms where we can make our voices heard.”

Growing up, Sravya was inspired by women athletes from Hyderabad, such as Sania Nehwal, PV Sindhu, and Sania Mirza, who all have won numerous accolades for India. She believes that because of the efforts of such women heroes in sports, India has started realizing the importance of female athletes in the country.

“Especially, in the recent Olympics, the women’s athletes put up a great show. I think that the world, especially India, is realizing the importance of women in sports and are understanding that they deserve as much as men are getting,” she said.

Apart from 24 Pro Men’s players, 8 Pro Women’s players and 8 Junior Women’s players are also competing in the ongoing Pro Tennis League 4. While Sravya wishes for more participation for women, she believes leagues such as these will help in the growth of young women tennis players in India.

“I would like to see more opportunities for girls as well. We are the best of the best right now. Because with leagues such as these, the junior girls are getting to learn a lot from pro players. There are not many opportunities where junior players get to interact with us or we get to interact with them or with the men’s players as well. So, this format is unique and very helpful and I am grateful to be a part of this,” she said.

On being asked about the future of women’s sports in India in the coming years, Sravya said that the parents are now empowering their girl child to pick up professional sports.

“I feel like being a woman is not a disadvantage. It is a privilege. I see a lot of parents caring a lot about their girl child and empowering them and it’s a very positive direction we are heading in,” she said.

“I would like to see a similar trend continue in the coming years. I would like to see a lot more unity among the women players because I feel, together, we will achieve our goals a lot faster than if we are pitted against each other. I really like that Pro Tennis League is giving players a chance to know each other and develop team spirit, which is not something we experience a lot on tours,” Sravya signed off. (ANI)

Courting Perfection – A Shuttler’s Story

By Amit Sengupta 24th December 2021

I was so inspired by Gopi Sir when he became the second Indian to have won the All England Championship… Gopi Sir is my truth. His word, his vision, his instructions, for me, are unchallenged.
– Double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu

Like the box office super stars of Bollywood, India has a plethora of multi-millionaire cricketers, with fame, power and unimaginable wealth. Some of them own huge fleet of cars and bikes. However, barring the rare likes of Rahul Dravid, or PT Usha and Anju Bobby George and Bobby George in athletics, how many of them are really giving back to cricket, or sports, for the future generations, or, contributing to the social fabric? In a vast country with a huge talent pool left to their invisible fate, especially in the small-town, rural and tribal interiors, amidst stark inequality and deprivations, how many such hidden and precious gems can get a real chance or the right patronage, training and sponsorship, to reach the high pinnacles of their dreams and ambitions?

However, there is one man, a great sportsman and world class badminton champion, who went against the current, staked his money, time, labour, personal life and talent, and has thereby nourished, with painstaking and protracted coaching, to create and cherish several top class badminton champions, who have beaten the most formidable and the best in the world, including the unbeatable Chinese. Srikanth Kidambi, now on a winning spree in the on-going world championship, is one of them, and so is Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, among others.

A self-effacing, stoic, quite, modest and humble man, a disciplinarian and committed trainer and coach, a tapasvi in his own realm, who did not chase fame and wealth. Instead, even while so young, he, along with his wife, mother and father, has dedicated his entire life and genius to nurture scores of talented youngsters, and turn them into top class players. He is only the second Indian to have won the All England Championship on March 10, 2001, with his body in great pain and fatigued, using sheer skill and will power, against an unbeatable opponent, the great Chinese champion, Chen Hong. The first was another legend, again a quiet and soft-spoken man, Prakash Padukone, who won it in 1980, spreading joy and cheer across the country.

He has been Chief National Coach for the Indian Badminton team. He has served as the official Indian Olympic Badminton Team coach at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2021 Tokyo Olympics. He has been awarded the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Arjuna, Dronacharya, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Rashtriya Khel Protsaha awards.

His name is Pullela Gopichand. At the peak of his career, he chose to set up the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, against all odds, with his meager savings and no big finance to boast of, but with dogged determination, and consistent help from committed visionaries and philanthropists. Since then, the academy and the rigour of nurturing and training young talent, is his full-time occupation.

In his recently published brilliant and honest autobiography, penned with writer and motivational speaker Priya Kumar (Shuttler’s Flick – Making Every Match Count, Simon and Schuster India), he writes: “Whether you win or you lose, sport teaches you the transience of both, and non-attachment to either. It’s a spiritual indulgence, it’s a life lesson, it’s a route to happiness. Sport, any sport, takes you there, guaranteed.

Says his wife, Olympian PVV Lakshmi, “Gopi and I got married in 2002. I had known him since I was 11 years old. I have always had deep admiration for the person and athlete he was and continues to be… After practice, he would never hang around with friends. We would often to go to a tea stall to eat biscuits and have tea… But Gopi never joined us. He would pack and go home. He never ate outside, he never went out for movies, he never did any anything beyond playing badminton… He goes to the academy, spends the whole day coaching, training and working with the players and then comes home. He has never gone clubbing or partying… Once home, he makes sure that he spends quality time with us and then moves into his space of meditation, yoga and reading. We all have a great life of happiness, personal satisfaction and togetherness. But, despite that, it’s tough sometimes to make peace with the long hours of absence in service of those who may or may not give the credit or appreciation…”

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Among the many incredible instances of his strong belief in values, he got a lucrative offer to do a popular Cola advertisement after his world championship victory. It was a big-budget campaign. Many well-wishers, family and friends said that that this money could support him and his family after retirement. Taking up this Cola ad would also open up new doors for big budget endorsements – something A-list Bollywood celebrities and top cricketers do all the time. Gopi declined the offer without any second thoughts. Why?

In this book it is pointed out that his contention was simple. “All aerated drinks are dangerously harmful for the human body. As an athlete, he did not drink it. He knew its harmful effects. He knew the disastrous effect processed sugar had on an athletes’ body, or, for that matter, on any human body. Apart from other hazardous chemicals, Colas have 46 g of sugar in one can. With that much sugar in your system, you are setting yourself up for consistent inflammations, body aches, slower healing, lack of energy and the list continues, each damaging your body, one slow death at a time. So how could he delude a whole generation in that direction for money? That was selling one’s conscience.”

There are many precious lessons in the book, shared by Gopichand and Lakshmi, which narrates the life and philosophy, the theory and praxis, behind Gopichand’s career, his vision, and everyday existence. Among them, here are a few:

When on the pinnacle of success don’t violate the very principles and values that got you there.
There is more to your passion if you care to look beyond yourself and embrace others.
You become a master when you teach others to become as good as you, or better.
Don’t compromise on your purpose or beliefs. There can be delays, but your destiny will not be denied.
You passion will cost you money, that is the smallest amount you can pay for its fulfillment.
If your hardship can make the journey easier for others, then your struggle has served a karmic and spiritual purpose.
Believe it or not, your work impacts many others.
When you find yourself in the position of victory after an era of hardships, don’t use your power to put others down, appreciate people and be grateful for the journey.
Don’t let your success end with you. Find a way to share it with others and to make them beneficiaries of your struggle.

Says PVV Lakshmi: “It’s a tough place to be in – where you understand the purpose and plight of your partner. But, then, I see my children follow in our shoes and I know that our journey of service will continue for another generation. My aspiration is for us to be great role models as players, as coaches and as human beings for our children. To pull that off on a daily basis demands greatness and gratitude…”

Writes Srikanth Kidambi: “Pullela Gopichand is one of the most down to earth people, especially in the league of champions. His accolades are legendary and yet his humility supersedes his celebrity persona. He has respect for everyone – elders, players, and coaches. You learn just by watching him.”

Says Saina Nehwal: “We owe him the medals. We owe him the victory. We owe badminton to Gopi Sir.”

‘I Have A Request For Olympic Viewers: Do Not Judge’

By LokMarg 31st July 2021

Olympian and Arjuna Awardee Virdhawal Khade, 30, talks about what it takes to be among the best athletes in the world. He says criticism is important but toxicity on social media can impact an athlete’s morale

I was the youngest Indian swimmer to make it to the Olympics at the age of 16, to become part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics squad. In 2007, before I finished my 10th board exams I had qualified for the Beijing Olympic Games.

I was in great shape I remember. I was training hard, and had a crazy desire to win every race I swam in. There was a phase where it was all just about racing and winning. It didn’t matter where I was swimming and who was swimming next to me.

I realised the worth of being an Olympian after I reached Beijing. Being among the best athletes in the world, living among them, eating at the same place, meeting athletes whom I had only seen on TV was a surreal experience. There I was, an Olympian, like my heroes. That’s when it struck me. I was proud and happy about what I had achieved.

I participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, won a Bronze Medal in Asian Games 2010, and have participated at six FINA World Championships and have held four National Records for over 13 years. I would say it takes hard work, dedication, consistency, sacrifice and perseverance to set about an Olympic journey. When you put your performance together on the race day, all those grueling training hours, early mornings, sore muscles, routine discipline, diet control… all of that makes sense when you see the rewards.

India has come a long way in terms of international results in the past few years, but there is still a long way to go. All we need to do is stay on this path of upward trajectory. We can’t expect our athletes to go from not making a semi-final or a final to directly winning a medal.

If you take cricket for example, crores of children take up the sport, at the end of the day only a few hundred of them earn a name for themselves as a distinguished cricketer. When more children start looking up to heroes from Olympic sports and when parents realise their children can win glory from sports, only then will we have a huge volume of youngsters and then our coaches can do a better job of mentoring the next Ian Thorpe or Michael Phelps from India. My father got me into the pool before I turned five and I started competing a year after I learnt how to swim.

ALSO READ: ‘Quit Self-Pity, Swim Against The Tide’

It’s unfortunate and a sad reality that your own countrymen back home troll/judge athletes when they are not able to win or qualify to a certain level. Hardly do they realize the punishing schedule and challenges that an athlete goes through to compete at the Olympics. It’s there in all sports in India. If you do well, you are a hero, if you don’t, then you are a traitor and a fraud.

Social media has given everyone a voice and some of them are extremely toxic. I would like my countrymen to think of the athletes in Tokyo as our own children. Criticism is important but being toxic will only do harm than good. It would help greatly if more people played a sport.

Everyone trains hard to do the best they can for their country, for their parents and for themselves at the biggest stage in the world. To all the athletes out there who couldn’t make it at the Tokyo Olympics, if you have given your absolute 100 percent in training and in the competition, accept the result. Plan for the next one and improve. Compete with yourself. Be better than you were yesterday. And remember that you are in Tokyo, the whole world is watching and you are representing 130 crore Indians. You are the best among us, so be proud of it!

As Told To Mamta Sharma