K. Srikanth has stayed true to his roots, even in his most euphoric moments.
Shortly after his latest triumph Down Under, he responded in minutes to a congratulatory message from coach Palanki Udaya Bhaskar Babu.
His reply was short and sweet — “Thank you Sir.” The text had been identical even after his Indonesia Open victory earlier, when the badminton mentor feted the player.
At the turn of the decade, Babu used to engage a young Srikanth and Sourabh Verma as sparring partners for Saina Nehwal, then soaring high in the sport. “Srikanth attacked a lot, which proved quite advantageous for Saina,” the ex-SAI coach told The Hindu .
“Nobody really expected him to get this far,” he reminisced. “Srikanth’s attacking style called for a lot of endurance and the experienced trainer had secretly nursed doubts about how long he would last the grind in a gruelling game. Over time, the budding badminton star watched, learned and wondered why he couldn’t achieve as much as his peers did.”
How would Babu explain Srikanth’s transformation from mild-manned gent off-court to aggressive combatant on it? “He’s genuinely humble and maintains good relations with every one. Nil negativity outside converts to positive energy on court,” he explained.
