Press Trust of India
New Delhi, August 31: Chief Indian badminton coach Pullela Gopichand, who guided Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu to medals in successive Olympics, stated he was lucky that he wasn’t good in studies and it was a flunked IIT exam that paved his way to be a successful sportsperson.
“My brother and I both played sports. He was fantastic in badminton and also a state champion. Now I feel that I was lucky I wasn’t good in studies,” Gopichand said while discussing how sports requires commitment from both parents and sacrifices and how luck also plays a part.
“He was a state champion. He appeared in his IIT exams and passed. He went for his studies and stopped playing. I wrote the engineering exam and failed and I continued with badminton and this is where I stand now. I think you have to be focused and even lucky sometimes,” the 42-year-old added.
Gopichand went on to become only the second Indian to win the All England title in 2001 and soon after he retired and decided to open his own academy. But then that journey was not at all smooth.
“I remember a particular company that made me wait for three successive days at their reception from 9.30am to 5.30pm. Finally, one of the officials came and told me that since badminton is not an eye-grabbing sport, they had no funds to offer,” informed the mild-mannered Gopichand.
“That was the day I decided not to look for sponsorships anymore. Thanks to my parents and wife, I mortgaged my home and set up my academy,” he added while attending a felicitation programme here Tuesday evening.
After two Olympic medallists, one can be sure, that Gopichand will not have to run after sponsors anymore. In fact it will be the other way round definitely.
Gopichand also stated that at times thoughts of retiring from the sport go through his mind (India need him, he shouldn’t think on those lines at all) after spending 12 years producing champions.
“I started the academy in 2004 with 25 young kids. Sindhu was one of my youngest at about eight years and (Parupalli) Kashyap was the oldest at 15. When I started coaching I had this dream that India would win an Olympic medal someday. I didn’t know that we could so soon in 2012 win our first medal,” he stated.
“I think maybe I should retire now because my goals are all finished and done with,” he added on a lighter vein.
Gopichand said though he was treated badly by some people he was also thankful to the good souls who have always been there to support him.
“We have people in the ministry who have been ridiculous in their ways of treating us but we also have some great souls who have supported us,” he asserted. “It was because of these good officials I got the Padma Bhusan,” stated the former India No. 1.