India’s chief National coach, P. Gopi Chand, apparently has a task cut out for now — how to decipher the daunting code of World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying.
For the Chinese Taipei girl’s domination over Indian shuttlers, especially Saina Nehwal (who suffered 12 straight defeats), has gained alarming proportions.
“Tai is a phenomenal player, arguably one of the greatest woman shuttlers ever. The kind of power and the range of strokes she has are too good,” Gopi starts off in an exclusive chat with The Hindu on the subject.
“Tai has the game to pull through seemingly difficult situations. This is what separates her from the rest,” said Gopi.
“But, I must say Saina has been improving in this one-to-one clashes. I don’t think Tai is unbeatable,” insists the coach, who took Indian badminton new heights on the world stage.
“We have identified the areas Saina has to work on and the strengths and weaknesses of the Taipei player . But, for obvious reasons, we cannot discuss that here. We are aware of the need to beat this wonderfully gifted Tai for sure,” he said.
“What should not be forgotten is that Saina has been losing only to Tai, but winning consistently against some formidable players like Okuhara, Yamaguchi and the new Chinese girls.
“ So, it has been a really great comeback for her after a long injury break. Something that is never easy,” Gopi said.
Adjustments
“Worried? Yes and No! Saina definitely needs to make some adjustments against Tai. We will work on this over the next few days. I believe it is just a question of one big win,” he said. “Unfortunately, there is very little time for the players to prepare.”
“For instance, the players will be back tonight and then be leaving within two days for the China, Hong Kong and India Open events scheduled over the next three weeks and don’t have the luxury to prepare,” he pointed out.
“The good thing is that Kashyap is also there with the players as a ‘coach’ and Saina keeps sharing her thoughts with me before big matches.
“ So, it is not that we are letting things drift. There is a conscious effort to keep improving,” Gopi signed off.
