If you’re a youngster trying to make a mark in a sport, your family plays a vital role in your progress and formation. And that holds true for 12-year-old Gayatri and eight-year-old Sai Vishnu - children of Pullela Gopichand and PVV lakshmi.
Participating in the PNB Metlife Chaaji Memorial All India Sub Junior Tournament at the Thyagraj Stadium in the capital this past week, Gayatri triumphed in two categories — U-13 singles and U-15 doubles with her partner Vishnavi Reddy Jakka. Her brother Vishnu finished runner-up in the U-13 doubles category.
Much like her father, Gayatri is soft spoken, very shy and prefers to stay in the company of her badminton friends from the academy. So much so, she looked at her mother to come to her aid when asked to speak to this reporter.
lakshmi is their travel companion for tournaments. A national champion and an Olympian (1996 Atlanta Olympics) herself, she can be a perfect full-time coach for her kids. However, she prefers to don the cap of a parent. “Right now I’m not into coaching them because I’m working for Bharat Petroleum. But when I’m around, I notice what mistakes they’re making, what their opponents play like. So I can guide them but I don’t go out and coach them. I want things to stick to how they are right now,” she said.
At the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, where both Gayatri and Vishnu train, they’re not afforded any special treatment. “We’ve ensured that once they’ve enter the academy, they’re like any other kids. And there are numerous coaches at the academy and anyone can work with anyone. So it’s not fixed that Gopi will work with few players and another coach with others. They all enjoy and they have a good time — which we like,” said laskhmi who hails from Vijaywada.
Gayatri loves watching movies as much as she loves the smashes and the game of lin Dan, Chen long and Ratchanok Intanon. Vishnu, still enjoying his pre-teen life, gorges on cartoons — Doraemon is his favourite — and remote controlled cars.
“Once we’re back home, we hardly talk about badminton. From 4AM till 7PM, it’s only badminton. So once Gopi’s back, there is no discussion of it. He would check how the day was and what homework they have. You know, some kind of distraction,” says laskhmi with a smile. The comparison with parents are inevitable and lakshmi reckons the kids play more like her than Gopi.
For a full-time India coach, Gopi has many roles to fill and lakshmi says he is doing a good job. “It is tough to manage all roles (for Gopi) — to be a parent, to travel, to be a coach — but at one point you have to take that call. He has left it upon me to handle things but all said and done, he still has to manage a lot of things. And I think he does it well,” she signed off with both the kids by her side clutching their trophies and winners cheques.
