Undeterred, Panchkula shuttler eyes national glory

Pratysh.Raj@timesgroup.com

Chandigarh: “So near yet so far,” goes the adage. For shuttler

Abhishek Saini

from Panchkula, losing to Nagpur’s Aman Farogh Sanjay in the U-19 finals of the 26th Krishna Khaitan Memorial All-India Junior Badminton Tournament in straight games was disappointing, yet his efforts didn’t go down the drain as he was chosen as the best player from Chandigarh in the boys category.

It was a shocker for the third seed Saini who conceded defeat to the sixth seed Sanjay in the summit clash that lasted only 28 minutes where the local lad was simply not in the best of form. Over to Saini, “I simply succumbed under pressure. It was finals and my entire family was cheering for me in the audience. Honestly speaking, I have no idea what happened, but I am focused on improving my game and from inside I know that I can make it big.”

Ask him whether it was nervousness that got the better of him with his family in the stands, he said, “I won the north zone badminton title in October at the same venue in front of my family.” Well, the defeat might have been disappointing, but he is no mood to throw his hands in despair.

Journey till now

The young shuttler has represented Chandigarh in the junior level and has set his eyes on the upcoming junior nationals to be held at Guwahati. “It is frustrating to lose the final, but one has to accept that the level of competition was very high in this tournament,” Saini said.

“On the positive side, it was a big learning curve for me. Playing against the players from other states was a revelation. It only improved me as a player and boosted my confidence,” he added.

Saini is not looking far ahead and taking one tournament at a time. "I have represented Chandigarh in every age-group — U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-19. My main aim is to play for India in the upcoming years,” the reticent lad said. Saini believes his performance in this tournament would take his game to the next level.

Strength and Weakness

Saini feels he needs to improve his fitness and hit more accurate strokes and half-smashes to be a better player. “Yes, there is a conscious effort to achieve this and I am fortunate to be guided by someone like Vivek Sharma, who makes it a point to be there at our daily sessions,” said Saini.

Vivek Sharma who runs an academy in Sector 7, Panchkula and under whom Saini and his elder brother Rajat have been training for the past 8 years has utmost confidence in his ward. Talking to TOI, he said, “Abhishek needs to work on his foot movement. He is tall and good on nets and have a very deceptive smash, but when it comes to rallies — he lacks judgment. We have to work on his movement, which is the main reason he lost the final,” he said.

“I believe, if he can fix his flaws he will be unstoppable in the Indian badminton circuit,” added Sharma.

Family support

Saini said that his brother and he started playing badminton for fun. “But we never realized that soon it became a passion,” he said. Saini who is currently ranked 10 in the junior category believes that success would not have been possible without the support of his family, especially his father who has supported him at every step of his career.

Saini’s father Ram Karan Saini, a government employee, who saw the finals with his elder son Rajat, said “I never stopped my sons from chasing their dreams. But as a parent, initially it was very difficult, but now since they have got sponsors the situation is much better.”

“I have high expectations from both of them but everything depends upon their hard work and sincerity,” he added.

Looking ahead

Saini is not looking far ahead. He doesn't want to rush as of now and his whole concentration is on the tournament in Guwahati. “Who doesn't wants to don the national jersey? But, right now, my aim is to grab every opportunity that comes my way,” he signed off.


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