Saina Nehwal Hopes to be Fit Before World Badminton Championship

New Delhi: Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal is confident of recovering from her shoulder pain and regain full fitness before the prestigious World Badminton Championship gets underway in Jakarta, Indonesia on August 10.

"There is some pain in the shoulder. I hope to be fit before the tournament," Saina said.

The Olympic bronze medallist has been unlucky when it comes to her fitness ahead of the World Championship. She had an upset stomach during the 2013 edition and ahead of the 2009 event she was diagnosed with chicken pox.

Earlier this year, Saina had developed a shoulder pain en route to her historic runners-up finish at the prestigious All England championship in March.

In world championship, a medal has always eluded Saina, who has not progressed beyond the quarterfinals. The World No. 2 will still start as one of the favourites at Indonesia, especially after her success run this season where she won the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold and India Super Series.

The 25-year-old will start her campaign in the second round, taking on the winner of the match between Hong Kong's Cheung Ngan Yi and Kati Tolmoff of Estonia. She is likely to take on Takahashi of Japan in the pre-quarterfinals and if she can cross the hurdle, it is likely to be a battle against Wang Yihan of China.

Talking about the draw, Saina, who has got a bye in the first round, said: "The draw is really tough with Sayaka Takahashi and Wang Yihan both in my half. They are very strong players, so let us see how it will be for me in this tournament. I hope I do well this time."

Saina has a 3-0 record against Takahashi but twice it has been a three-game match, while against Yihan Wang it is a 2-9 record but the Indian will take heart from the fact that she had beaten her in the All England Championship in March.

Asked about her preparation for the tournament, Saina said: "My training is going on fine. At the highest level there is no particular area which we have to work on as every part of the game needs correction. So it's like working on everything."

Saina has lost to four Chinese players -- Wang Lin (2009), Wang Shixian (2010), Wang Xin (2011), Li Xuerui (2014) -- besides facing defeat against South Korea's Bae Yeon-ju in the 2013 edition of the World meet.

Besides there is World No. 1 Spaniard Carolina Marin, who had beaten her in the finals of All England, while Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand had beaten Saina thrice in the past.

The second seed Indian said: "Competition has opened up a lot with Carolina (Marin) and (Intanon) Ratchanok. All the Chinese and Japanese players are also playing extremely well, so it has become more challenging with everyone playing extremely well in women singles."

It is for the first time that India will have two players within the top 5 -- Saina (World No. 2) and Kidambi Srikanth (World No. 3) as they lead the biggest and strongest home contingent at the World meet.

Asked what are the chances of a medal, Saina said: "This time we have a big team and I hope everyone comes out with good results. Being a player I can only wish them luck."

Saina Nehwal to Lead Indian Squad at World Badminton

Jakarta: In probably the best chance to grab multiple medals, an 18-member Indian badminton contingent led by ace shuttler Saina Nehwal will vie for honours at the 22nd edition of the World Championships to be held at the 9,000-seater Istora Senayan here from August 10 to 16.

This will also be Saina's golden opportunity to grab a medal at the Worlds which has eluded the Olympic bronze medallist ever since she started participating at the annual contest in 2009. The 25-year-old has always exited the event at the quarterfinals stage the five times she has taken part in it.

The Hyderabadi has been seeded second in women's singles this time behind defending champion Carolina Marin of Spain. Saina, who has got a first round bye here, has had a good run this year winning the India Grand Prix Gold, the India Open Super Series and also reaching the finals of the All England Open.

Compatriot P.V. Sindhu, who is the most successful Indian at the global event, won two bronze medals in 2013 and 2014. This year, however, she will find the going tough, despite having being seeded 11th and receiving a first round bye, as her 2015 season has been injury marred.

Kidambi Srikanth, meanwhile, has been seeded third in men's singles and will be facing Australian Michael Fariman in the opener. The 22-year-old has had a strong year, winning the Swiss Open Grand Prix Gold and India Open Super Series titles which has helped him maintain his World No.3 spot. He also reached the finals of the India Grand Prix Gold where he lost to compatriot Parupalli Kashyap.

Reigning Commonwealth Games champion Kashyap on the other hand has been seeded 10th and will take on Dutch Erik Meijs first up. Though he has beaten top players regularly, failure to win Super Series events has irked his career. However, a medal here will certainly be a big plus in his resume.

Right behind Kashyap in the seedings is H.S. Prannoy at 11 who will open his campaign against Brazil's Alex Tjong.

In doubles competition, the two men's pairs of Pranaav Chopra-Akshay Dewalkar and Manu Attri-B. Sumeeth Reddy will be seen in action. While Chopra and Dewalkar will open against Russian Vasily Kuznetsov and Nikita Khakimov, Attri and Reddy will start against Chinese combine of Cai Yun and Lu Kai.

Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa will once again be looking to repeat their women's doubles bronze medal-winning performance of 2011. They are only Indian doubles pair to be seeded at 13 and have got a first round bye. The combinations of Pradnya Gadre-N. Sikki Reddy and Dhanya Nair-Mohita Sahdev will also take part in the category.

Sikki will then join hands with Tarun Kona in mixed doubles and the two will also be accompanied by multiple time national champions Arun Vishnu and Aparna Balan.

The seedings are based on rankings as of July 23. This is the third time the Indonesian capital is hosting the tournament after 1980 and 1989.

India have won only four bronzes till date at the Worlds. The first time was in 1983 when the legendary Prakash Padukone clinched the metal. India had to wait 28 years before Jwala and Ashwini broke the deadlock to take the medal in 2011. Thereafter, Sindhu won two consecutive medals in 2013 and 2014.

The squad:

Men's singles: Kidambi Srikanth, Parupalli Kashyap, H.S. Prannoy

Women's singles: Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu

Men's doubles: Pranaav Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar, Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy

Women's doubles: Pradnya Gadre and N. Sikki Reddy, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, Dhanya Nair and Mohita Sahdev

Mixed doubles: Arun Vishnu and Aparna Balan, Tarun Kona and N. Sikki Reddy

Third seed Ajay Jayaram lost 17-21, 7-21 to Indonesian Tommy Sugiarto in the semi-final at Russian Open.

Vladivostok: Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram lost his men's singles semifinal in straight games to be ousted from the $50,000 Russian Open Grand Prix here on Saturday.

The Indian challenge also came to an end as doubles pairs Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy and Akshay Dewalkar and Prajakta Sawant lost their respective semifinals at the Sports Hall Olympic.

Third seed Jayaram, who hails from Mumbai, had no chance against top seed Tommy Sugiarto as the Indonesian took only 33 minutes to win 21-17, 21-7 and extend his head-to-head to 3-0. 

Later, local pair and men's doubles top seeds Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov accounted for third seeds Attri and Reddy by beating the Indian combine 19-21, 21-7, 21-16 in 43 minutes.

Dewalkar and Sawant also suffered the same fate as they lost the mixed doubles contest to Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan 10-21, 8-21 in only 22 minutes.

World No. 2 Saina Nehwal said she is preparing hard under coach Vimal Kumar for upcoming tournaments, including the World Championship.

Bengaluru: India's badminton queen Saina Nehwal is focusing on her "game and skill" for the upcoming tournaments, including the World championship, but said the results will depend on overall fitness.

"My performance must be the best as per my analysis. Further it depends upon the overall body health of mine," Saina said.

The World No. 2 Indian said she is preparing hard under the roving eyes of coach Vimal Kumar for upcoming tournaments, including the World Championship.

"As a badminton player of India, I play almost all the tournaments slated for the year 2015-16. For example, World Cup, Japan Open, China Open, Denmark Open, France and Hong Kong open by the end of 2015," she said.

Saina has been in the city for over three weeks training under the vigilant eyes of Kumar at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy.

The 25-year-old is undergoing eight hours of on-court and off-court training. Four hours she spends time on practising badminton and as much time she spends in the gym.

"I am at Bangalore, in the academy so my full concentration is on my performance. My coach is giving me all the encouragement to show by best performance," she said.

"My training part is very good, I am getting all possible help and facilities required for the improvement of badminton player game and skill," she added.

It has been a breakthrough year for Saina, who became the first Indian woman shuttler to reach the number one status in world badminton in April. She eventually went through a series of ups and downs before holding the number 2 position for the last one and a half months.

"The number one is not static, it changes with the time and performance. Chinese girl Li Xuerui who was number one for almost entire year has slumped to third position," Saina said.

The girl from Hyderabad said she could regain her number one slot again by putting some consistent performance.

"My performance is showing some progress, that is, I am getting good training. I am trying to maintain my performance by giving 100 per cent from my side as a player. May be because of that I got that position," she added.

Replying to a query on a tiff between India Coach Pullela Gopichand and Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponappa, Saina said, "That is entirely a subject of women doubles game. I never tried my hand on it. I am a single player."

Shuttler Ajay Jayaram Reaches Russia Open Grand Prix Semis defeats Malaysia's Wei Feng Chong 21-15 21-13.

Vladivostok: Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram notched up a straight-game win over Malaysia's Wei Feng Chong to reach the semifinals of the Russian Open Grand Prix badminton tournament here on Friday.

The third-seeded Indian saw off Chong, seeded fifth, 21-15 21-13 to set up a clash with top seed Tommy Sugiarto in the men's singles competition.

Indian pair of Akshay Dewalkar and Prajakta Sawant prevailed over the French combine of Ronan Labar and Emilie Lefel, seeded fourth, 21-18 21-18 in mixed doubles category to reach the semifinals.

Men's doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy also reached the final four after getting a walkover from local pair of Andrej Ashmarin and Vitalij Durkin.

However, it was end of road for Tanvi Lad in women's singles after her gruelling battle against Evgeniya Kosetskaya of Russia ended with a 28-26 13-21 19-21 loss

Third seed Ajay Jayaram beat local player Kirill Timofeev 21-7, 21-7 in a lop-sided match to set up a match against another Slovakia's Jarolim Vicen.

Vladivostok: Indian shuttlers Ajay Jayaram and Tanvi Lad notched up contrasting wins to reach the second round of the men's and women's singles competition of the Russian Open Grand Prix badminton tournament here on Wednesday.

Third seed Jayaram beat local player Kirill Timofeev 21-7, 21-7 in a lop-sided match to set up a match against another Slovakia's Jarolim Vicen.

Tanvi too crossed the opening hurdle, beating Russia's Victoria Slobodjanuk 13-21, 21-18, 21-19 and will take on second seed Linda Zetchiri of Bulgaria in the next round.

Meanwhile, mixed doubles pair of Akshay Dewalkar and Prajakta Sawant defeated local combo of Rodion Kargaev and Ekaterina Bolotova 21-16 21-16. They will face Egypt's Abdelrahman Kashkal and Hadia Hosny.

Another mixed doubles pair of Dinesh Chaudhry and Lalita Dahiya defeated Russian combo of Mikhail Nesterenko and Daria Radchenko 21-11 21-16. They will take on second seeds Evgenij Dremin and Evgenia Dimova.

PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth Crash Out of Chinese Taipei Grand Prix

India's challenge ended at the USD 200,000 Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament after top shuttlers PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth, and fast-rising Sameer Verma lost their respective second round matches here today.

World No.3 Srikanth was handed a shock defeat by unseeded Indonesia's Ihsan Maulana Mustofa 19-21, 18-21 in a men's singles second round match that lasted 40 minutes at the Taipei Arena.

While Sindhu, who is yet to regain full form after her return to the field following a long injury lay-off, also lost in straight games against third seeded local shuttler Tai Tzu Ying.

The two-time World Championship bronze medallist lost 15-21, 17-21 in just 32 minutes to bow out of the women's singles competition.

With this victory, the World No.5 Taipei player has extended her record over Sindhu to 3-1.

Earlier, 20-year-old Sameer went down to World No.1 and Chinese top seed Chen Long 19-21 16-21 in 42 minutes.

Sania Mirza (tennis), Dipika Pallikal (squash), Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa (all badminton) have done India proud with their unprecedented feats. But is there still lack of support for women who seek to make careers out of sports in India?

New Delhi: Sania Mirza's latest Grand Slam triumph at Wimbledon is a testament to what Indian women are capable of achieving, but there is a long way to go before change sets in for most women who wish to take up sports as a profession in this country, feels badminton ace Saina Nehwal.

In the past few years, the likes of Sania, Dipika Pallikal (squash), Saina, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa (all badminton) have done India proud with their unprecedented feats. 

However, World No.2 Saina admits that despite the global success of Indian women in sports, there is a lack of enthusiasm for sports education for girls in the country.

"Changes are happening and girls continue to outperform and excel in life, but there is still a long way to go when it comes to sports. Women are traditionally not encouraged to indulge in sports," Saina told IANS in an email interaction on her association with Microsoft's #MakeItHappen campaign.

As part of the campaign, she has motivated Indian youth to follow their dreams -- via a video titled "Umeedein" -- and shows sports being brought into an all-girls school.

"Apart from being a relevant topic, it is close to my heart and one that has the potential of giving this country many more proud moments," said Saina, who brought home the first and only Olympic medal for India in badminton.

"The video carries a message for the Indian youth to follow their dreams. I wanted to communicate to parents and stakeholders to let girls experiment and give them freedom of choice so that they can opt for the best possible career for them," she said of the initiative.

The Hyderabadi also stressed while "female education is something everyone can get enthused about, when it comes to girls taking up sports as a profession, that enthusiasm vanishes".

"One of the reasons is the assumption that sports cannot be a profession for girls and that it distracts them from doing well at studies. In my experience, I have met a lot of girls who are equally interested in sports but lack a proper direction to take their interest forward," said the 25-year-old.

"They are still being pushed to do well at studies and try and build a career in professions 'perceived' as made for girls. People, especially, from tier-II and tier-III towns are often disadvantaged as they do not get as many opportunities as people from the metros. We need good sports people who can make our country proud."

Saina is said her professional entry into the sport was by chance.

"I was spotted by coach P.S.S. Nani Prasad Rao in Hyderabad. He agreed to take me under his wing as a trainee at the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) summer camp in 1999. I have been fortunate to have always got encouragement and support. I was spotted while playing at school. Hence, I am a big believer of encouraging girls to take up sports," she said, adding that there's no ideal age for sports education.

Saina also hopes her story, "among other stories of success, can help bring about a nationwide change in the mindset of people who still go by old perceptions".

PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth Reach Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold Second Round

Taipei: Top Indian shuttlers P V Sindhu and K Srikanth, and fast-rising Sameer Verma reached the second round of the USD 200,000 Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament here on Wednesday.

In women's singles, world no. 14 Sindhu defeated Indonesia's Lindaweni Fanetri 21-19 21-19 to set up a clash with third seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei.

World No.3 Srikanth defeated Chinese Taipei's Tzu Wei Wang 21-17 21-15 in a 34-minute battle in men's singles competition. The third seeded Indian will next take on Indonesian Ihsan Maulana Mustofa.

Sameer also crossed the first hurdle with a hard-fought 20-22 21-13 21-13 win over Chinese Taipei's Kuo Po Cheng. He will meet world no. 1 Chen Long of China next.

However, it was the end of the road for Commonwealth Games bronze medallist RMV Gurusaidutt as he lost 21-23 17-21 to Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia.

World No.3 Kidambi Srikanth was handed a shock defeat by unseeded Indonesia's Ihsan Maulana Mustofa 19-21, 18-21 in a men's singles second round match that lasted 40 minutes at the Taipei

Taipei: India's challenge ended at the USD 200,000 Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament after top shuttlers PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth, and fast-rising Sameer Verma lost their respective second round matches here today.

World No.3 Srikanth was handed a shock defeat by unseeded Indonesia's Ihsan Maulana Mustofa 19-21, 18-21 in a men's singles second round match that lasted 40 minutes at the Taipei Arena.

While Sindhu, who is yet to regain full form after her return to the field following a long injury lay-off, also lost in straight games against third seeded local shuttler Tai Tzu Ying.

The two-time World Championship bronze medallist lost 15-21, 17-21 in just 32 minutes to bow out of the women's singles competition.

With this victory, the World No.5 Taipei player has extended her record over Sindhu to 3-1.

Earlier, 20-year-old Sameer went down to World No.1 and Chinese top seed Chen Long 19-21 16-21 in 42 minutes.

Sania Mirza (tennis), Dipika Pallikal (squash), Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa (all badminton) have done India proud with their unprecedented feats.

New Delhi: Sania Mirza's latest Grand Slam Triumph at Wimbledon is a testament to what Indian women are capable of achieving, but there is a long way to go before change sets in for most women who wish to take up sports as a profession in this country, feels badminton ace Saina Nehwal.

In the past few years, the likes of Sania, Dipika Pallikal (squash), Saina, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa (all badminton) have done India proud with their unprecedented feats. 

However, World No.2 Saina admits that despite the global success of Indian women in sports, there is a lack of enthusiasm for sports education for girls in the country.

"Changes are happening and girls continue to outperform and excel in life, but there is still a long way to go when it comes to sports. Women are traditionally not encouraged to indulge in sports," Saina told IANS in an email interaction on her association with Microsoft's #MakeItHappen campaign.

As part of the campaign, she has motivated Indian youth to follow their dreams -- via a video titled "Umeedein" -- and shows sports being brought into an all-girls school.

"Apart from being a relevant topic, it is close to my heart and one that has the potential of giving this country many more proud moments," said Saina, who brought home the first and only Olympic medal for India in badminton.

"The video carries a message for the Indian youth to follow their dreams. I wanted to communicate to parents and stakeholders to let girls experiment and give them freedom of choice so that they can opt for the best possible career for them," she said of the initiative.

Sania Mirrza broght glory to India with her maiden Wimbledon triumph.

© NDTV

The Hyderabadi also stressed while "female education is something everyone can get enthused about, when it comes to girls taking up sports as a profession, that enthusiasm vanishes".

"One of the reasons is the assumption that sports cannot be a profession for girls and that it distracts them from doing well at studies. In my experience, I have met a lot of girls who are equally interested in sports but lack a proper direction to take their interest forward," said the 25-year-old.

"They are still being pushed to do well at studies and try and build a career in professions 'perceived' as made for girls. People, especially, from tier-II and tier-III towns are often disadvantaged as they do not get as many opportunities as people from the metros. We need good sports people who can make our country proud."

Saina is said her professional entry into the sport was by chance.

"I was spotted by coach P.S.S. Nani Prasad Rao in Hyderabad. He agreed to take me under his wing as a trainee at the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) summer camp in 1999. I have been fortunate to have always got encouragement and support. I was spotted while playing at school. Hence, I am a big believer of encouraging girls to take up sports," she said, adding that there's no ideal age for sports education.

Saina also hopes her story, "among other stories of success, can help bring about a nationwide change in the mindset of people who still go by old perceptions".

PV Sindhu defeated Indonesia's Lindaweni Fanetri 21-19 21-19, world No.3 Kidambi Srikanth eased past Chinese Taipei's Tzu Wei Wang 21-17 21-15.

Taipei: Top Indian shuttlers P V Sindhu and K Srikanth, and fast-rising Sameer Verma reached the second round of the USD 200,000 Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament here on Wednesday.

In women's singles, world no. 14 Sindhu defeated Indonesia's Lindaweni Fanetri 21-19 21-19 to set up a clash with third seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei.

World No.3 Srikanth defeated Chinese Taipei's Tzu Wei Wang 21-17 21-15 in a 34-minute battle in men's singles competition. The third seeded Indian will next take on Indonesian Ihsan Maulana Mustofa.

Sameer also crossed the first hurdle with a hard-fought 20-22 21-13 21-13 win over Chinese Taipei's Kuo Po Cheng. He will meet world no. 1 Chen Long of China next.

However, it was the end of the road for Commonwealth Games bronze medallist RMV Gurusaidutt as he lost 21-23 17-21 to Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia.

Jwala Gutta-Ashwini Ponnappa Set to be Included in TOP Scheme by Sports Ministry

New Delhi: The Sports Ministry is set to include shuttlers Jwala Gutta and Aswini Ponappa in the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme even as it extended support to national coach Pullela Gopichand, who was accused of bias by the top women's doubles pair.

A Ministry official confirmed that Jwala and Ashwini will be included in the next list of TOP athletes.

"Since we have approved a doubles coach for the badminton players, we decided to include the top badminton players in the TOP scheme. And as there is no better pair than Jwala and Ashwini, they will soon enter the set of TOP players for Olympics," the official told PTI.

Ashwini had recently joined Jwala in criticism of Ministry and Gopichand, who is also in the TOP committee, for not including them in the scheme.

The official insisted the Ministry would have included the two shuttlers even without the noise they made over their exclusion from the list. He also said that it was unbecoming of Jwala and Ashwini to level baseless allegations against Gopichand.

"They should not have spoken against Gopichand. Not even once in the TOP meetings he spoke against Jwala and Ashwini. He is a man of huge stature and a role model for many Indians. In fact it is because of him we agreed on hiring a doubles coach," the official said.

He added that financial assistance to the doubles specialists will be given out from Rs 10 crore contribution made by India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL).

Besides Saina Nehwal, the other badminton players in the TOP program are Parupalli Kashyap, Kidambi Srikanth, H S Prannoy, RMV Gurusaidutt and P V Sindhu.

Following Jwala and Ashwini's controversial remarks on Gopichand, the player-turned-coach had outrightly rejected their claims saying they have been given full support.

"It is too often that they (Jwala-Ashwini) have been saying this. They need to be specific about their issues. Whatever tournament they have been playing, they have been supported by SAI, BAI and the Government of India. Whatever support they have asked, has been given.

"Under the TOP scheme, it was said that as a joint program for singles, we will support singles players as a group. So four players were picked then. Similarly, doubles as a group will be supported in the scheme," he had said.

Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa Getting All the Support: Pullela Gopichand

New Delhi: India's chief badminton coach Pullela Gopichand on Wednesday rubbished all the allegations levelled against him by Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa, and insisted that the Indian women's doubles pair are getting all the support from BAI, SAI and the government.

After their recent win at the Canadian Open,the WD-paid has asked Pullela Gopichand to treat all badminton players equally or step down as the national coach, referring to their exclusion from the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme, which funds potential medal-winners for the Rio Olympics.

Responding to the allegations, Gopichand said: "It is too often that they have been talking about this. I think they need to be specific about what their issues and problems are. This way blaming and pointing fingers without any basis and credit is just not done.

"It is unfortunate that these things have been happening. I think it is high time we put all this to rest and we should put together our effort in improving our levels.

"I think whatever tournament they have been playing, they have been supported by SAI, BAI (Badminton Association of India) and the government of India. We also have two separate coaching camps going on with Indonesian foreign coach and doubles specialist coaches being part of it. Whatever support they have asked for in the last few years have been done and they have played quite a few tournaments."

One of the top doubles specialist, Jwala has been voicing her displeasure over her exclusion from the TOP Scheme for the last few months. Ashwini, too, recently hit out at the Sports Ministry saying they are not getting the right advice over TOP scheme.

The criticism prompted the Sports Authority of India (SAI) director-general Injeti Srinivas to come out in support of Gopichand, saying that neither the national coach, SAI nor the ministry had discriminated against any player.

Asked about the Top scheme issue, Gopichand told Times Now TV channel: "Top scheme has an identifying committee and it is not for me to say. There are others in the committee. Even SAI has spoken to the media about this issue. The fact is that their names were included in the TOP scheme and they are definitely getting all the support that they can get." Gopichand said: "We have always done well in supporting the players and both these players, Jwala and Ashwini, are part of the coaching camp which is supported by BAI and SAI. We have a foreign coach in Bangalore and in addition to that we have asked for a Malaysian coach who will join in next couple of months, hopefully.

 "Under the Top scheme, it was said that as a joint program for singles, we will support singles players as a group. So four players were picked at that time. Similarly, doubles as a group will be supported in the TOP scheme. When we are calling a coach, it is natural that doubles players will be trained. I think we need to investigate further and they need to be specific that this is not done in the camp.

"You see, there are other doubles players such as Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy who reached the finals of a GPG, they didn't get their due credit, there is also Sikki Reddy and Pradnya Gadre, who did well at nationals. They are happy and comfortable with the support that they are receiving. It is unfortunate that people who shout are getting all the attention, which is unjust.

"It is high time we put it to rest, people need to concentrate on the job at hand."

Meanwhile, when BAI vice-president TPS Puri was asked about the issue, he said: "I don't want to get into the controversy. I think there has been a long demand for a doubles coach.

"Now we have been able to identify him and it has been approved by SAI and he will be shortly going us. He is a top coach and he will help the players not only for the Rio Games but also serve as a long term to built up the junior squad."

Badminton Coach Vimal Kumar Feels Sports Ministry Could Have Done More for Women's Doubles

Bengaluru: Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa might have accused P.Gopichand of bias but former coach Vimal Kumar on Thursday said the national chief coach has done no wrong and felt the Sports Ministry could have included the top women's doubles pair in the TOP Scheme.

Commenting on the raging tiff between Jwala-Ashwini and Gopichand, Vimal told PTI: "I don't think that Gopi has done anything wrong in this particular aspect. The Sports Ministry could have included Jwala and Ashwini in the TOP Scheme."

"If they (Jwala and Ashwini) are included in that category and provided the support, definitely it would be of use," he added.

Asked how he would have addressed the issue, Vimal said: "My approach would have been - if the players have done well and come in top 13, then I would have pushed their case. For Olympic qualifications, we need specialised attention in doubles.

"We need some experts travelling with us which will help us for the next one year. This approach would have been better rather than the issue turning into a personal tiff," said Vimal, who has been coaching Saina Nehwal ever since she split with long-time coach Gopichand.

Asked if it was fair on the part of the players to level allegations against Gopichand, Vimal said, "Yes, because he is a national coach, and in that capacity the players feel he should push their case a lot more."

Further enquired if it was in Gopichand's hands to push Jwala and Ashwini's case, Vimal said he was unsure but suggested that the panel members of TOP Scheme should take a relook into the whole issue.

"Whether it is in his hands I am not very sure. I also don't think it is entirely up to him. There are other panel members, may be they should have a relook at the whole thing," said Vimal.

A former National champion, Vimal said the outburst of Jwala and Ashwini for non-inclusion in TOP Scheme should be seen in the backdrop of the singles players getting all attention.

"In any sports, attention is fully on single players, whether it is lawn tennis or badminton, doubles players don't get much importance. Whether it has been Wimbledon or French Open, it has always been singles players. That's how it is," he said.

However, Vimal also said it would be unfair to ask the government to do everything because the sports ministry has been doing a lot for individual players who are performing well.

"We cannot ask the government to do everything - it is tough. The sports ministry, they are doing a lot in terms of supporting individual players who have been performing well," he said.

Shuttler Ajay Jayaram Seeded Third at Russian Open Ajay Jayaram will open his campaign against South Africa's Prakash Vijaynath.

Vladivostok: Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram has been seeded No.3 in men's singles at the $50,000 Russian Open Grand Prix which will be played at the Sport Hall Olympic here from July 21 to 26.

The Mumbaikar will open his campaign against South Africa's Prakash Vijaynath. Men's singles is the only category in the tournament which has a Round of 64 as the other four sections are Rounds of 32.

In women's singles, the Indian challenge will be led by P.C. Thulasi, who will be up against Estonia's Kati Tolmoff in the first round, and Tanvi Lad, who will face local girl Victoria Slobodjanuk.

Following their brilliant outing at the US Open Grand Prix Gold in June where they reached the final, World No.24 men's doubles pair Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy has been seeded third and will open against talented Malaysian pair Zulfaiz Bin Zulkiffli and Zulhelmi Zulkiffli. 

K. Dilshad and Tarun Kona are the other Indian pair in the category and they will take on local boys Vladimir Rusin and Iiya Zdanov in Round 1.

Women's doubles fourth seeds Pradnya Gadre and N. Sikki Reddy have been given a bye and are automatically through to the Round of 16.

Tarun and Sikki will join hands in mixed doubles and take on another local combine Anatoliy Yartsev and Evgeniya Kosetskaya while Akshay Dewalkar and Prajakta Sawant will be up against Russians Rodion Kargaev and Ekaterina Bolotova.

Dinesh Chaudhry and Lalita Dahiya will be the other Indian pair in the section and will face Russians Mikhail Nesterenko and Daria Radchenko in the first round.

Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa are ranked 13th in the world and are looking to win a second medal at World Championships in Jakarta.

Mumbai: Fresh from her triumphant exploits with senior partner Jwala Gutta in the Canadian Open, shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa today said the ace Indian doubles pair was now aiming to break into the top ten while qualifying for next year's Rio Olympic Games.

"For doubles, the top 16 pairs will qualify and we have to be in the top 13. Ideally we want to be in the top ten. The qualifying process started this May and ends next May. There are quite a few tournaments (left to qualify) but until the last moment anything can happen. It's still a long way to go," said Bengaluru-based Ashwini at a promotional event here today.

"When we qualified for the Olympics the last time (2012, London), we had to wait till the Indian open and had we lost in the quarters we would not have qualified," recalled the 25-year-old Ashwini.

Currently Jwala and Ashwini, who complement each other with their different areas of specialisation on the court, are ranked 13th in the world and their first major outing is next month's World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia where the pair wants to win a second medal, said Ashwini.

"I would love to win a medal at the World Championships. Yes, we have won a medal (bronze) earlier (in 2011 to create history). And now Jwala and I are working towards winning another medal," said Ashwini.

Ashwini welcomed the reported appointment of a specialised doubles coach, Malaysian Tan Kim, but said she wanted a separate camp for doubles players, to be held separately from those who play singles.

"I don't know the status (of the reported Badminton Association of India move to appoint Tan Kim). Of course it will help if we have a separate coach (for doubles is appointed), but a separate camp for doubles at a different centre will also help," she said.

"Jwala and I are training in different cities. We pay for all additional things like physio, trainer, nutritionist while all other singles have their own support team. It's very expensive."

Kidambi Srikanth is seeded No.3 in men's singles and will open his campaign against local boy Tzu Wei Wang. R.M.V. Gurusaidutt and Ajay Jayaram have got direct entry into the main draw of the tournament.

Taipei: World No.3 shuttler Kidambi Srikanth is the only Indian to be seeded at the $200,000 Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold which will be held at the Taipei Arena here from July 14 to 19.

Guntur-born Srikanth is seeded No.3 in men's singles and will open his campaign against local boy Tzu Wei Wang. R.M.V. Gurusaidutt and Ajay Jayaram have got direct entry into the main draw of the tournament.

P.V. Sindhu is the only Indian in the women's singles main draw and she will start by facing old foe Lindaweni Fanetri of Indonesia in the Round of 32.

No other Indian has got direct entry into the main draw of any other category. However, there are several who will be taking part in the qualifiers

Jwala Gutta Seeks Government Support for Rio Olympics Preparation Jwala Gutta and her doubles partner Ashwini Ponnappa are not part of the government funding scheme -- Target Olympic Podium.

Hyderabad: Fresh from her Canada open success along with Ashwini Ponnappa, ace shuttler Jwala Gutta on Wednesday urged the government to come out and support the doubles specialists in their endeavour to win an Olympic medal next year at Rio.

"We need all the support that top players need. I think what the singles players are getting, if we get that kind of a support, I think Ashwini and me can win a medal at the Olympics, definitely. It will be great. At least now, people who are responsible wake up. I will be really happy," Jwala told PTI upon her arrival from Calgary. 

"I don't know what to do really. I hope that they are at least thinking about it right now. This is what. Being a player, I am supposed to train and practice and only think about my game, what I have to develop and what weaknesses I have to take care of.

"Instead if I have to go to Delhi, spend a day, two or three, go behind them. This is what we should not be doing. We are the best bet in doubles for Olympics and we should be given all the support.  I hope people and the ministry of sports realise and support us. That's all we need," she added.

The 31-year-old said it was crucial for the shuttlers to get the government support.

"Lot of players are performing, including singles, only because of government funding. If government does not fund, lot of players will be lost. We are really depending on the government. This TOP scheme is that extra boost," she said.

Jwala insisted that lack of support from the government would make it difficult for the youngsters to take up doubles.

"Definitely (absence of government support would make it tough for the players to get into doubles). After Ashwini and me, I don't see anybody else coming up. You can see it. I stopped playing mixed doubles and there is no result in mixed doubles. I was world number six. People who are talking about me and my performance and questioning my career and my achievements, where is the next mixed doubles pair, please show it to me. I would like to know," she blasted.

Talking about her recent success in Canada Open, Jwala said: "I am very happy, very excited. It means a lot to me. Winning a title in Olympic year is never easy. It has come as a big relief."

Jwala said that the understanding between her and Ashwini, and their maturity has helped in overcoming the challenge in Canada.

"Future looks bright and shiny. Ashwini and me are very happy. The kind of understanding we developed over the years. I think we have matured as players. In Canadian Open, our experience and maturity really helped us to win those matches.

"The lighting in Canada was not as great. It was all white and seats were white. So, there was lot of glare. So, the first match was difficult to spot the shuttle. But I think our experience and the kind of maturity we have developed really helped us."

Stating that her ultimate goal is to win a medal in next year's Olympics, the shuttler from Hyderabad said: "The ultimate goal is Olympics. Before Olympics, any tournament we play and win is great. But, the ultimate goal is Olympics."

"It's amazing (for Prime Minister to appreciate our performance). It really means a lot to Ashwini and me. I know how happy Ashwini was after seeing that message. We are really grateful that our hard work and our achievement was acknowledged by the Prime Minister. It is very rare. I am really grateful," Jwala concluded.

Sports Ministry will provide financial assistance to Parupalli Kashyap, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy and RMV Gurusaidutt under its Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme.

New Delhi: As part of its Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme, the Sports Ministry on Tuesday decided to provide financial assistance to the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, where four shuttlers are currently training under the programme.

The four players are Parupalli Kashyap, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy and RMV Gurusaidutt.

A little over Rs 28 lakh has been earmarked to cater to expenses incurred on gym equipment, Rs 40,000 per month will be spent on one physiotherapist while Rs 20,000 will be used on a masseur.

The financial assistance from National Sports Development Fund (NSDF), approved under this sanction, is out of the contribution made by the India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL), under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, to the TOP scheme under the NSDF.

The Sports Ministry said in a release: "The amount sanctioned should be utilised only for the purpose for which it is sanctioned and unspent balance, if any, shall be refunded immediately after procurement of the equipments.

"The facilities proposed to be acquired out of the financial assistance should be made available to the four badminton players for optimum use as part of their training. There is no objection to the academy extending these facilities to other trainees when these are not put in use by the four players selected under TOP Scheme."

It further stated, "While the equipments will presently be in the custody of the academy for use, the ownership of these equipments will be with SAI. Academy shall provide necessary documents to SAI for the purpose."

A MoU will be signed between the academy and SAI for use of the equipment apart from the use by the four players under TOP Scheme.

Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, India's doubles specialists, who have been ignored for the government's much hyped Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme, hopes things change after winning the Canada Open where they beat the top seeds in the final.

 The third-seeded Indians  WD-pair won 21-19, 21-16 in the final that lasted 35 minutes.

This was Jwala and Ashwini's first title after their multiple splits, and eventual reunion, in the last couple of years.

"This may not be a Super Series title, but it's a Grand Prix win. And this being an Olympic year, every tournament is important, as all players are trying to qualify," Ashwini Ponnappa told NDTV from Calgary.

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The pair, currently ranked 13th in the world, was ignored for the government's Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme, that provides athletes with funding for training for next year's Rio Olympics. 

Currently, an amount of Rs 30 crore has been allotted to badminton by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, that covers six of India's best singles players only, and no doubles players at all.

"I do hope this win improves our ranking, and makes the government change their decision about us. They need to understand that if we're given adequate funding and support, we have a very good chance of qualifying for Rio," said Ashwini.

The pair, who shot into limelight with their gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, went on to win a World Championship bronze in 2012. At last year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow too, they won a silver. 

Despite competing in a team event, Jwala and Ashwini train separately, as it's not been feasible for them to make things work out otherwise.

While Ashwini trains at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, Jwala stays and trains in Hyderabad. "It's a massive challenge,"Ashwini quoted "But Jwala and my understanding on the court is great. We see where we're lacking, and then go back to our respective training centres to work on it. That's how it has been working so far."

The duo will focus on the World Championships in Indonesia in August. But to do better in bigger tournaments and improve their ranking further, specialised training is the need of the hour.

"We've been demanding a separate coach for very long, but nobody's heard us," said Ashwini. "This is an Olympic year, and I think the authorities should make an exception this time."

Ashwini Ponnappa Rates Canada Open Win as Big Boost Ahead of World Championship

New Delhi: Ecstatic after winning the Canada Open women's doubles title on Monday Jwala Gutta said consistency has been the key to their success and this victory is a big boost ahead of the prestigious World Championship in August.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist pair of Ashwini and Jwala defeated the top-seeded Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek 21-19, 21-16 to clinch the USD 50,000 Canada Open Grand Prix tournament on Sunday night.

"It is a fantastic win. We have been playing well and have been consistent. Winning the tournament just before the world championship is a great boost. Naturally, the World Championship in August is the next target for us," Ashwini told PTI from Calgary.

India's best doubles pair, Ashwini and Jwala, won as many as four bronze medals last year but a title win has eluded them and Ashwini said it was nice to annex a trophy after a long time.

"Me and Jwala have done well last year too. We won bronze medals at the ABC, Uber Cup, Asian Games in Incheon and silver at the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow. We also reached the semifinals at the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold and then last week at the US Open. So we have been consistent but we have won a title after a long time. It is great to break the draught," Ashwini said.

Ashwini and Jwala had taken a break post the London Olympics and this is their first title since their reunion after the 2012 Games.

The duo trained separately for some time but now with the World Championship round the corner, they will once again start training together.

"We have been training separately. I train at the national camp in Bangalore under Yusuf sir or Tom John, while Jwala is with Mohd Arif Sir, but since we have played together so much, we know each other's game and we gel well at the tournaments. But for the World Championship, Jwala will come to Bangalore and we will be training together," said Ashwini, who alongwith Jwala won the 2011 World Championship bronze medal.

Their consistency and a semifinal place at the US Open saw them reach their career-best ranking of world No. 13 last week and this win will see them surging further up but Ashwini said their target is doing well in tournaments and not focusing on ranking.

"It has been a great last two weeks and now the emphasis is to keep playing well and get better with each tournament. It is not about ranking because that will take care of itself as long as we keep winning. The standard of super series is different, so we will be training hard to be at our best at the World Championship."

"This is the Olympic year. So we are trying to play a few GP and GP gold events besides the Super Series tournaments."