Press Trust of India
New Delhi, May 9: Happy after becoming the first Indian men’s doubles pair to qualify for the Olympics, the duo of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy are now looking to tighten their game and improve their fitness level ahead of the Rio Games in August.
The World No. 20 Indian pair sealed their Rio berth after the BWF World rankings were released last Thursday, following the end of the qualification period, May 4, 2015 to May 1, 2016.
Playing their maiden Olympics, Manu said they will work hard to make up for the lack of experience. “(It) experience is important, but more importantly hard work can nullify all the disadvantages. There is a three-month gap now and we will look to train hard and improve our fitness for Olympics,” the 23-year-old Manu stated Monday.
“Now there is no target apart from Olympics. Like any other athlete, I want to win a medal for my country,” he added.
His partner Sumeeth is of the opinion that being the underdogs will be an advantage for the pair. “Olympics is once in four years and all the players ranked higher than us would obviously be in pressure while playing against us, so if we can showcase the best game, then God willing I think we can stand on the podium,” pointed out Sumeeth.
It, however, will be an uphill task for the Indian duo to return with a medal from Rio if their recent performances are any indicator. They have lost in the first round of all the six tournaments they have played this season. The only event where they advanced to the second round was the Indian Open where they won against a local pair.
Sumeeth attributed the defeats to silly mistakes in the matches. “We just need to cut down on the errors and keep things simple,” he asserted. “If we can do that results will automatically follow.”