The Hindu : Sport / Badminton : No realistic hopes: Gopi

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Saturday, Jun 09, 2007
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No realistic hopes: Gopi

Principal Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Pullela Gopi Chand, India's chief national badminton coach, feels that realistically the Indian team has very little chance of qualifying for the next round of the Sudirman Cup world mixed team championship to be held in Glasgow (Scotland) from June 11 to 17.

Speaking to The Hindu , just hours before the team's departure on Friday evening, Gopi said that he was essentially looking at the Sudirman Cup as a major preparatory event for the long list of Grand Prix events scheduled later this year.

"The fact that some of the players might pick up some valuable world ranking points from this championship should spur them to come up with much better performances than expected," he added. "We are going to try out various combinations, and especially test the women's and the mixed doubles pairs with an eye on the 2010 Commonwealth Games," he said.

Tough one

"The event will be a very tough one no doubt which can be gauged from the fact that India has never qualified for the second round in Sudirman Cup," he added. India is clubbed along with Scotland, Finland and New Zealand and the winner from this group will have to fight it out with the winner of Group III A which comprises France, USA, Ukraine and Canada, in order to make it to the next round.

Gopi felt that the Indian team would definitely miss the services of national champion Chetan Anand who "is a very talented player". "But these are things which are not in my control," he added.

The national coach admitted that the recent crisis which hit Indian badminton (with some of the players raising a rebellion of sorts) did hamper the preparations. "We could have prepared much better in the run-up to the event. Again, this was clearly avoidable," he said.

Gopi gave an impression that he would have preferred his first major assignment, as India's chief national coach, to come with a more amiable backdrop.

However, he didn't think that the fall-out would have any impact on youngsters like Kashyap and Saina Nehawal in the Sudirman Cup.

Mature enough

"I believe they are mature enough to be ready for big challenges. Essentially, they should use this big platform to come out as much better players," he explained.

"Perhaps by the end of Sudirman Cup, we will have a fair idea of where exactly we stand at the highest level. And what are the corrective measures needed for India to become a significant force," Gopi concluded.

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