JOEL ANDRADE
PANAJI
In the last decade or so, India’s badminton scene has seen an upswing. Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy have become the toast of the nation. In Goa, Anura Prabhu Desai and Anushka Kuvelkar have blossomed while there are others like Tanisha Crasto, Anjana Kumari, Aaashrun Gautam and Lydia Barreto who are winning medals or putting up good performances at the national arena. In a tête-à -tête with The Goan, Goa Badminton Association’s Secretary Sandeep Heble talks about the association’s plans and what’s required to take badminton in the State on a high pedestal.
THE GOAN: How did your journey with badminton begin?
SANDEEP HEBLE: I have been playing badminton since my school and college day. Since 1997, I have been in the organising field. Later, I joined Panjim Badminton Club, one of the most active Badminton clubs in Goa which has been organising major ranking tournaments, coaching camps and professional badminton leagues in Goa. In 2012, I was elected as vice-president of Goa Badminton Association and in 2016, I was elected as its honorary secretary.
TG: Two years back you were elected secretary of Goa Badminton Association. What goals did you set? Have you managed to tick all the boxes?
SH: The committee which was elected in 2016 set a wide range of goals. We want to spread the reach of badminton to every nook and corner of the State. Earlier, we used to organize State level ranking tournaments and now we have added taluka and district level tournaments in our season. We have given memberships to many more affiliated units and as a result, badminton activities have gone up. Apart from the regular ranking tournaments, we have taken the initiative to organise non-ranking tournaments to boost and encourage new players or players from remote centres and locations. We have also started an annual convention and an annual awards ceremony for top achievers. Also, we have exclusive women’s, children’s and master’s festivals and tournaments. During summer vacations, coaching camps are being organised in places where there are infrastructure facilities. Now there are plans to start regular coaching and training sessions as a year round activity, with emphasis on fitness, speed and endurance, badminton strokes, skill development and mental aspects of training. A professional badminton league is also part of our calendar. All in all, it’s a busy calendar which keeps players of all age groups active and motivated throughout the season. We also have a good presence on social media platforms. We publish regular newsletters and have our own website, Facebook page and group. We are on Twitter, Instagram and Whatsapp and as a result, our players get regular updates and badminton information. Though we have undertaken many tasks, it is difficult to achieve all our set goals within a short period due to funding issues, but the committee is working hard to achieve good results.
TG: Has the government supported your association for the development of the game? Please talk me through.
SH: We have been getting good support from the SAG. The SAG Executive Director, VM Prabhudesai has consistently supported our initiatives and has been extremely encouraging. There are two SAG coaches who also cooperate with us and support our activities. But for badminton or any other sport to come up, some special initiatives will need to be taken. Identifying talents and directly providing these athletes with funds on the lines of the ‘Khelo India’ scheme can be thought of. An athlete on an average requires an amount of Rs 35,000/- a month to train at a good recognised academy. The government must adopt the Sports Code and have a good sports law in place to streamline the functioning of sports bodies.
TG: Goa has seen a rise in its shuttlers’ performance. What do you attribute this to?
SH: Our shuttlers have been achieving good results in the last few years. Anura Prabhu Desai is now India number one and has been winning many medals at the national and international arena. Anushka Kuvelkar in the past has also represented India. Tanisha Crasto, another promising shuttler won two gold medals at the recently concluded All-India sub junior ranking in Nagpur and in all likelihood should get selected in the Asian Junior Games Team which heads later this year to Myanmar. Other shuttlers such as Anjana Kumari, Pranjal Chimulkar, Aashrun Gautam, Tejan Fallary, Shourya Joshi, Arjun Fallary and a few more who have been practising in academies are also excelling which shows that the talent and potential is here. Only it has to be nurtured.
TG: How popular is badminton in Goa? What is the current system for the development of the sport? Are you happy with it?
SH: Badminton on the whole is an extremely popular sport. Worldwide, in terms of number of players who play the game, it is second only to football. Saina, Sindhu, Srikanth and Prannoy are now our sporting icons and fan following is rising by the day. We now have government facilities in Panjim, Ponda, Mapusa, Margao, Sanquelim, Quepem, Betalbatim, and Chicalim. Also, there are other private, school or municipal facilities in various other places. With more number of centres having come up in recent years, number of players has also substantially increased. However, we have only two SAG coaches in Goa and a few private coaches. We have requested the SAG and government to appoint few more coaches so that players from other centres can get good affordable training and come up. The association has given its coaching plan to the SAG and are waiting for its nod.
TG: How do you see badminton now compared to what it used to be years earlier? Where do you see badminton in the next 5 years? What plans do you and your association have?
SH: Badminton as a game has evolved. It is now a fast paced game and is gaining in popularity and TV coverage. Previously, matches used to be played in the 15 points scoring system which was a test mainly of stamina and endurance. A player could gain a point only during his or her service and matches would last longer. Now, on an average, matches are completed within half an hour and the emphasis is on speed, power and mastery over strokes. The growth of badminton has been phenomenal and India is on the brink of a badminton revolution. In Goa too, badminton is gaining in popularity. In the last two years, we have made serious attempts to train our players in basic coaching and have organised workshops and training sessions for physical education teachers, referees and umpires. So now, we have a good number of preliminary coaches and officials. It is a good beginning. In the next two years, the our committed team has plans to put in place more elaborate systems to raise the bar of the game higher and make badminton even more popular.
TG: Any plans on starting a professional badminton league in Goa?
SH: Our affiliated club, Panjim Badminton Club, had organised professional leagues in 2009 and 2011, which were extremely successful. However, the leagues could not be held in subsequent years. Last year, we made an attempt to revive the league team championships and organised such leagues in three different categories-- the sub-junior league, junior league and senior league where players and teams came forward to participate. In terms of participation, these leagues generated a lot of interest. This year we have announced similar leagues while there is also a plan to have one big league on a professional scale. This has been scheduled sometime in November 2018, and will be organised on the lines of the hugely successful Premier Badminton League. There are plans to get a few outstation players too which will generate greater buzz and excitement.
TG: Badminton is slowly being taken up as a career. Your advice to the budding shuttlers.
SH: If you know that you have the talent and a liking to the game, then you have to pursue your dreams. Many career options are now open, not only as a player but also as a coach, official, organiser, etc. Anura at a young age has now got a permanent appointment with Central Railways. Many others have got jobs under sports quota. Players can also simultaneously pursue their studies. If you have dedication, perseverance and self-discipline in anything that you do, there is no reason why you won’t succeed. Focus, work hard and achieve your dreams!
