India’s 2016 Rio Olympic men’s doubles badminton player, Sumeth Reddy, was always a super serious in court. His father Chandra Bhaskar Reddy, a local athletics coach, was often taunted on the Hyderabad ground to help dop his wards. But he was firm to make his son a clean Olympian, even if his salary was stable for Rs 25,000.
It is always attractive that more than half of his father’s minor salary became funny in his badminton, Sumeth was intelligent beyond his years. But nothing could prepare him for a famous Mumbai doctor, stating that at the age of 20 his narrow vertebra actually gave him back at the age of 55. Despite being the top 3 in India, Sumeth switched to doubles and made it all the way to qualify for the Olympics despite a limited dynamics with Manu Atri, another clever shuttler of Maroot.
The net and non-stop strategic twicex had an aggressive attitude to consider the opponent, the strength of Sumeth. And after announcing her retirement on Monday, Sumeeth is ready to take a complete -scale coaching, which includes India’s top female doubles coupling, top 10 TRISA Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.
Sumeth talks to the player about the coach infection.
How did doubles badminton happen despite being a top India junior in one phase?
I (future Olympians) were a fairly good junior at a point ahead of B Sai Praneth and HS Paranoy. But on the verge of seniors, a sudden day this shocking pain started and I could not bend, without support of the wall or use the washroom. Physio told me that it seemed prominent and doctors told me to MRI that it was bone collapse, either hereditary or over-use. When I saw Sachin Tendulkar’s doctor (Dr. Anant Joshi), he said that I was behind at the age of 55. It was in bad shape. Singles took a huge hit, but Gopi Bhaiya suggested that I try doubles. My game was never about efficient or stroke, but I could hit 40/50 mid-smoke without tired-5 more than 5- and were aggressive on the net. I gave it a shot, what else could I do?
What was challenging about taking badminton?
We will literally travel 6 hours, 130 km, for two sessions to reach Gachibovali twice the buses in Lucky Kel because I lived in Uppal. Take the first bus for the session at 4.30 am, then return for evening training. So many times I slept at the bus stop, but we did not see it as a struggle because we wanted to play. But for 8 years, it is difficult to do 8–10 hours of training without winning. The family was spending Rs 15,000 out of Rs 25,000 on my game. Breaking racket strings meant a disaster at home, and stressed because I did not have a job till the age of 20. Then there was a back injury, but thankfully I started winning in the couple.
How difficult was the Olympics visit?
We were talking about 2012-2015 when support for the couple was non-existence, but Manu Atri and I were ready for Peace. There were no tops or OGQs for us, and foreign coaches (Tan Kim) and official funding (tops) came in December 2015, when we were almost worthy, not going from all over the world, 13 qualifiers to come inside the bracket 50-60 to come inside the bracket. It was about playing small finals, and was using a prize money of $ 1000 to visit the next one. We admitted that we were not in a position to win a big super series, so we traveled to small meats on our funding. At one point, we played tournaments at Mexico, US, Guatemala, China, Vladivostoc, Lagos Non-Stop. No coach or physio. It was common to live in the bed bed and not a hotel, but to leave food. Some tournaments were truly random-a central American site was a tin shed placed on a large hill cave, where the court mat was in the dog’s ear and continuously rolled. But we wanted Olympics.
What was Manu as a partner, and now when both of you are coaching, what is the competition?
He was fun, I was serious. We had nothing to talk outside badminton. So when we were together with India’s teams. But we were both very professional and focused on the target. Sanve Thomas and Rupesh Kumar were the top India pair and tried to qualify for the London Olympics, but unfortunately decreased. There were many good couples among the citizens of Srinagar, but I was very good in using pressure on seniors, when juniors to play with strategy and aggression to play them. In this way we won our first national, and won some good international victory. I admire Manu’s discipline as a coach and we will both compete healthy as coaches.
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How important was Sikki’s support? (Fellow Top 20 Doubles Player and Left Wife)
Huge support. My back injury occurred when his knee was shot. We rebelled together and started dating. Funny, my first win was also when she won her first female doubles title. I am prone to doubt myself all the time and very serious. He won a lot in Juniors, so he is always a positive player who helped me dominate the national level by 2018.
As a coach, what do you experience being a player?
We were never powerful or harsh hitters like Satvik-Charag, so even a foreign coach would not have helped us much. But whatever we won was cleverly. Do not work hard, but do not lift, play a flat game that bothers the power hitter, causes confusion to them and push them back. As a coach, I continue to remind the pair of small things. I can bounce on those moments when the speed changes, when attitude and aggression can help start tables on people with large sports. I tell Treesa-Gayatri that I believe they can beat the top ranked sugar if they consider it themselves. They were a set and above 6-3 at the Swiss Open last week, and needed to be slightly more aggressive, causing more stress in Chinese ranks. The victory will come soon.
Happy with your career?
No regrets. Could not work hard. Gave all this. Could be smart. I was never a person who could not pick up 100 kg in the gym with my back. But I learned to play smart. Now I want to help as an Indian coach. I want my family to say Circle, ‘They helped win for the country.’
