India on Sunday defeated defending champions and 14-time winners Indonesia with a 3-0 win in the final. Thomas Cup Final To register a historic victory.
“I didn’t expect it to happen so soon, at least not in the next 8-10 years. I think we have really arrived and India will be considered a superpower and a threat from now on. It will give a big boost to Sports,” Padukone, of India First All England Champion In 1980, told PTI during an exclusive conversation.
Padukone has no doubt that this is the turning point of Indian badminton and this stupendous success needs to be capitalized and built on.
“It was a complete team effort and a confident victory and a momentous opportunity. I think it’s equally great or maybe even bigger than individual success. We needed that and I think our moment really arrived.” There is no looking back now and it’s time to capitalize on it.”
Padukone, who led India to the semi-finals of the Thomas Cup in 1979, feels that the win will have a huge impact on the game in the country and it is paramount as a nation not to let the momentum dampen us.
“It will make it more popular, drive more growth in the game, more youth will adopt it, more corporate and government support will come and overall the standard should improve and the trend should show an upward graph,” he said. .
For the touch artist of the past, the next decade will be crucial to pick up the pace.
“It will be on the federations and also the state federations to tap this opportunity and see how they can take advantage of it in the next 5 to 10 years. It is important to involve more people in the sport, to come up with innovative ideas.”
Padukone wants a blue-print, a vision document that will show the way forward.
“It will put more responsibility on them (the federation), so they have to have a vision, a plan is needed. There can be more regional centres, better infrastructure, get corporate support and don’t lose this opportunity. We really There is a need to plan ahead for 5 to 10 years.”
feels the emergence of padukone Satwiksairaj Rankireddy And Chirag Shetty One of the major reasons behind India’s victory in the Thomas Cup.
“Doubles has always been our weakness but now we have the kind of doubles pairing that can beat anyone in the world. Earlier there was a lot of pressure on singles but now they could play freely and it showed on the court,” he said.
“so when target army Didn’t win India still won because of doubles. They are an established pair and it has provided good balance to the team. This time everything came together.”
Padukone, who produced a lot of players after setting up his own academy (PPBA) in Bangalore in 1994, feels that a lot of youngsters will play after seeing the doubles. sattvik and chirago In the Thomas Cup.
“This title will help youngsters take up doubles as a special sport. Earlier, they used to try singles and then move to doubles. But the way satvik-chirgo Performance, this win will do wonders for Indian badminton and now the focus will be on doubles.
“It will get its due in terms of prize money, recognition, selection, which is a great sign.
Some worrying signs for women’s badminton
The 66-year-old, ranked world number one in 1980, feels the men’s team is in safe hands but worries about the lack of depth in women’s badminton.
“We have the least depth in the men’s team. I mean, Lakshya is still young, some players like Mithun, Kiran are doing well and some from Gopichand’s academy too. Srikkanth and Prannoy are a little older but they are less At least there will be when we defend it in two years’ time so we have good bench strength in the men’s section.”
“But it’s the women’s front, where it’s a little worrisome. We don’t have the same bench strength among women as men. I’m not saying we don’t have talent, we have. But none of them Is on the same level as Saina or Sindhu, which is a bit worrying,” Padukone was candid about her apprehensions.
The Indian women’s team won the bronze medal twice but failed to reach the quarter-finals after losing 0-3 to Thailand in the Uber Cup.
Padukone said India will have to aim higher after setting the bar high with a Thomas Cup win as there will be a lot of expectations.
“There will be more pressure. India has now raised the bar. People will have higher expectations and even a semi-final or a final finish will not be acceptable. It will be considered that the standard has gone down.
“So it will be important to balance it and make sure that we win as many events as possible and don’t get complacent. We need to go for gold every time,” he added.