Latest news with #GopichandAcademy
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
SRM University-A.P. student wins silver in badminton tournament
Rushendra Thirupathi, a first-year BBA student at SRM University-A.P., clinched the silver medal in the men's singles category at the Yonex-Sunrise 11th Telangana State Senior Badminton Championship 2025. A statement released by the SRM University-A.P. said that Rushendra, who is a native of Telangana, had secured a gold at the Yonex-Sunrise 46th Junior National Badminton Championship 2023 at Bengaluru, and a bronze in the NMDC Telangana International Challenge in 2024. Rushendra thanked his coach, mentors and the teams from Gopichand Academy and SRM University-A.P. for believing in him and his skills. 'Their guidance and support helped me overcome difficulties and excel in the final round of the championship,' he said. 'We empower our athletes to rise, compete and conquer national and international tournaments,' said Director of Sports at SRM University-A.P., Anup Singh Suryavanshi. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Ch. Satish Kumar and Vice-Chancellor Manoj K. Arora congratulated Rushendra for his achievement.
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Kidambi Srikanth's game with influences ranging from MS Dhoni's finishing to SS Rajamouli's creativity
It is said that the Guttikonda caves from near to where Kidambi Srikanth grew up in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, was where Gautam Buddha performed his Kalachakra (wheel of time) ceremony for the very first time. It is also fairly well known that French astronomer Jules Janssen travelled to Guntur in 1868 to observe the solar eclipse, and noted the bright yellow line in the spectrum of the chromosphere, the emission halo that turned out to be the discovery of helium eventually – though he was never credited for it. Guntur can be very esoteric that way. This week, Srikanth brought a sudden spring in the step to the darkly eclipsed Indian badminton scene, with his bright surge into the Malaysia Masters final. A win on Sunday will be swell, but Srikanth brings another sort of earthy aura, a reticent radiance to the sport, that Guntur with its spiritual and celestial moorings, will always be proud of. The 32-year-old grew up in an affluent landlord's family in the fertile Andhra plains, but his surroundings – what he observed around, what he thought of and noticed, how he viewed life with its ebbs and flows – was extremely eclectic. His influences – from sport to movies to art to fashion and even watch designs – came from a breathtaking breadth. Recently married to one of India's finest movie fashion designers and stylists Shravya Varma, Srikanth has remained a very private celebrity, letting his game to do all his bashful brand building. On court, he loved the creativity (and comparatively lesser pressure) of badminton doubles, and could geek out on the minutiae of shot-making in the company of friends who played the sport for fun, though he kept his thoughts to himself and stayed respectfully aloof from peers who were elites competing for the same prize, internationally. Even today, some random junior at the Gopichand Academy is likely to have had shared a long discourse on some niche aspect of badminton with Srikanth, and generously offered secrets of his trade, rather than his contemporaries, coaches or sparring mates. He's not even trying to keep a secret, it's just that he is very instinctive about who he has conversations with – choosy, like his strokeplay. Unfailingly polite and kind, his aloofness got mistaken for attitude (as happens with most), but yakking about the sport just isn't his thing. He's quite like Taufik Hidayat or Lin Dan that way. Srikanth was that rarity who needed to be persuaded to take up singles, and leave his laid-back nature from doubles behind, and urged to own the spotlight. He knows he plays some brilliant badminton, and he still hates the preening needed to be labelled a star despite being a World Championship silver medallist. India's most enigmatic shuttler too surrounded himself with friends and their favourite pastime was discussing amateurish collaborative story scripts of big-screen movies they would make in an alt world, with Srikanth being the most vocal about details of elaborate scenes. A fan of one of India's most successful directors, SS Rajamouli, Srikanth saw the grandiose Telugu movies in their large stylistic scope, and like Ariadne of Inception, was the architect of labyrinthine dreams among his close group of friends. It's not that all this distracted him from badminton, just that he was not going to settle for the brawny, slam-bang one-dimensional men's singles game, labouring away on slow courts soaked in retrieving ennui. His badminton philosophy hasn't been entirely dreamy and unrealistic. A massive fan of MS Dhoni and how he chased down totals in his prime, Srikanth could break down the pinpoint pragmatic Dhoni approach in batting in cricket – the endgame soaking of pressure, backing himself for clutch and choosing the precise moment to attack the opponent, while talking cricket. This past week in Kuala Lumpur, Srikanth has mastered the endgame, a chase of sorts, after trailing opponents several times, in ways that are straight from the Dhoni playbook. He was also a big fan of staying calm – not fretting about performing aggression because athletes ought to. When you look back, that whole bunch of shuttlers under Gopichand – Parupalli Kashyap, Guru Saidutt, HS Prannoy, Sameer and Sourabh Verma and B Sai Praneeth, as well as Srikanth immersed themselves in the art of badminton, while Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu were slashing away at titles. The men took their time to win, but the badminton fundamentals were pristine, scholarly and box office watchable. Once when he lost a Nationals semifinal at Pune in 2023, his victorious opponent had his jaw on the floor, as at least 200 fans queued up in a disciplined file to take Srikanth's autographs, even after being beaten. The game was breathtaking with shots imprinted on many minds, and the disappointing loss and shoddy endurance forgiven, because you couldn't watch a Kidambi Srikanth match and not become a fan. Indonesians sent him teddy bears and flowers and sang nasal ditties and SRK songs when he played at the Istora Senayan – like Lord's of badminton. The frustrating losses over the last three years, however, have tested patience abd cardiac health of Indian fans. It is to his enduring credit that no one rudely asks him to retire, though there were unkind remarks that he should move to doubles, as if that's easy. It's mostly down to injuries and fitness – shabby stamina levels don't allow the style and speed his game needs. Those need discipline, which he has recently propped up. His coaches admit he's been working exceedingly hard, though for someone with his gamestyle and quality of shots, he ought to be winning more, playing better. Malaysia at 32, is not the beginning of the world, like his failures weren't the end of the world – as coach Gopichand always told him. For someone with such fluid court movements, and injury-free now, if he hits a good patch, 2025 could be very similar to 2017. Paradoxically, it helps that the Olympics medal is mostly out of the picture. The race to qualify always drove him to destructive desperation aggravating injuries, and the 2016 loss in quarters pushed him deep into depression. He was far too good a player to forget how to play beautifully, and mercifully the game retains its best facets, with no ugly jaggings of muscular metronome hitting jutting out. However, Srikanth would know intuitively that just like Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei, his game needs to evolve and lose its 2016 hangover when he mesmerised. The same strokes he played then, are picked by fortified defenses of new players now, and his game is – to put it bluntly – properly read by opponents. Srikanth has twice lost to Li Shifeng, that Chinese bulldozer-with-biceps. The Asian Games team event was particularly scarring. But the Sunday final will be a test of whether Srikanth's new workouts can work against Axelsen, Antonsen and the rally machines. The dribble-smash-push-tap got him points takingbhim into the final, a pleasant surprise. But is he physically strong enough to kick that gear needed to beat Shi Yuqi or Li Shifeng? You can't deny what Srikanth has done for Indian badminton though – a Finals Sunday after eons, with an India-China cracker to announce the end of the dark eclipse. The Guntur Gong has sounded a click turn, in the wheel of time. India will watch badminton again.
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Business Standard
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
Like minded Tanisha-Dhruv reviving mixed doubles magic in India with flair
'We both have a similar mentality because we really want to achieve something, and that's pushing us together.' These were the words of India's latest badminton sensation, Dhruv Kapila, while talking to ESPN, who, along with his partner Tanisha Crasto, has put India back in the spotlight in mixed doubles badminton. The duo won India's only points in the recently concluded Sudirman Cup 2025 when they beat Indonesia's Rehan Kusharjanto and Gloria Widjaja 10–21, 21–18, 21–19 in the second Group D match. While India eventually lost the tie 1–4 and missed a playoff spot, they offered bright hopes for the Indian badminton fraternity, which has been struggling in recent times, especially in a category where India is usually given little to no chance of success. How Tanisha and Dhruv are reshaping the mixed doubles landscape? Indian badminton hasn't often boasted success in mixed doubles, but that may be changing thanks to Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila. Since joining forces in late 2023, they've shown rapid progress, climbing to a career-best ranking of 17 in April 2025. Their games complement each other — Tanisha's court coverage and angles pair seamlessly with Dhruv's strength from the back. They credit their chemistry to a shared ambition and mutual understanding. With backing from the Reliance Foundation, they now have access to high-performance support rarely available to Indian mixed doubles players, giving them a serious edge going forward. Mixed doubles has rarely been India's strong suit in international badminton. Apart from trailblazers like Jwala Gutta and V Diju, who were the first Indian pair to enter the top 10, the country has seen few standout performances. Short-term partnerships have come and gone, and in team events, this category has often been seen as a weak link. However, Tanisha and Dhruv's recent performance in the Sudirman Cup may have started to shift that narrative. Their victory against Indonesia gave India a much-needed win in a crucial tie — something unthinkable in mixed doubles just a year ago. How Tanisha-Dhruv partnership came together Tanisha and Dhruv felt their partnership had real potential from the outset. When they made the finals at the Syed Modi International in November 2024, they sensed they had found the right fit. Dhruv, who had long wanted to focus on mixed doubles, finally had a partner whose style matched his. Tanisha agreed that they clicked instantly and decided to prioritise this format. Their win over a pair who had previously beaten them was particularly sweet, as Tanisha explained — it gave them huge confidence and set the tone for what they could achieve as a team. Who is Dhruv Kapila? A native of Punjab, Dhruv Kapila was introduced to professional badminton early, enrolling at the Gopichand Academy by age 10. He initially made his mark in men's doubles, becoming India's No. 2 with M R Arjun. Injuries to his partner, however, forced a change of course. Dhruv always felt he had the skills for mixed doubles but lacked a suitable partner until Tanisha came along. With her, he's now able to fully utilise his attacking strengths and tactical smarts. He believes their shared goal and hunger to improve are what keep their partnership strong and growing. Who is Tanisha Crasto? Tanisha Crasto's path to Indian badminton started in Dubai, where she was born and raised. At 16, she made the bold move to Hyderabad to chase her dream of playing for India. She's already represented the country in women's doubles at the Olympics, but her return to mixed doubles has been especially impactful. After her previous partner, Ishaan Bhatnagar, was sidelined by injury, Tanisha adapted quickly. She sees her current pairing with Dhruv as a natural fit, crediting their progress to shared goals and strong in-game understanding. Her speed and anticipation make her vital in front-court play. India's ongoing badminton challenges Despite this promising duo, Indian badminton faces a broader downturn. Top singles players have seen a dip in form, and men's doubles has taken a hit due to injuries to stars Satwik and Chirag. Mixed doubles, long considered an afterthought, now offers a potential path forward — if India can develop more strong pairs. Tanisha and Dhruv feel the lack of competitive training partners domestically holds them back. They stress the need for long-term pairings and dedicated coaching to raise the level. For now, they remain one of the few bright spots in an otherwise difficult phase for Indian badminton.
