“We cannot have just two or three ace players and expect them to win all the medals. We are a population of a billion people, we have the capability to produce more players,” says badminton player, Jwala Gutta. The shuttler was in town to attend the silver jubilee celebrations of The Presidential School.
Talking to Metroplus, the Arjuna Awardee says that having more badminton academies is the need of the hour. “More academies will make the sport accessible to a larger group of people. This will also create healthy competition among the sportspersons and help them get better at the game,” she says.
The player is coming up with her own academy, Jwala Gutta's Global Academy for Badminton that is all set to open in a month’s time in Hyderabad. “Apart from singles, the academy will also focus on doubles game. India needs to pay more attention to doubles. Unfortunately, we prioritise singles game despite doubles being an important part of badminton. In doubles, game co-ordination and understanding plays a major role along with techniques and game plan. The co-ordination comes only if players are trained together,”adds Jwala who represented India in badminton doubles.
Speaking about her role at the academy Jwala says that she will oversee the running of the academy and play the mentor. “I cannot be a coach because I am not trained for it. I would rather put my efforts and expertise in ensuring that the best of facilities are available there,” says the 36-year-old.
- With over two decades of experience in badminton under her belt, Jwala advises the upcoming players: “There will always be shortcuts, and unfortunately they look very tempting. But nothing can make you a champion except hardwork. So be patient about the long training and practice sessions as that is the only way to ace your game.”
A resident of Hyderabad, Jwala has fond memories associated with Visakhapatnam. “I played my first ever nationals in this city when I was just 11 years old. After that, I have played several other tournaments here. Every time I came here, I would take long walks along the beach. It helped me calm down, especially days before the tournaments when I was under a lot of pressure,” she adds.
Jwala who retired from the sport almost two years ago, says that she is enjoying life at a slower pace now. “I have been playing since the age of eight or nine years old. Since then my routine has always been busy with academics and practice. My day used to begin at break of dawn but now I like waking up leisurely and spending time at home,” she says. Jwala spends her time catching up on web series and movies. “Currently, I am hooked to this Netflix series called Locke and key,” she adds.
Talking about the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo, she says that her hopes are pinned on PV Sindhu who might get home a medal.
