I'm thrilled: Ashwini Ponnappa

Did you expect the Arjuna award this year?
Honestly, I didn't think about it. I've been training extremely hard and trying to do my best in the game. I think my hard work paid off when Jwala and I won gold during the Commonwealth Games and then the bronze at the World Championship. My aim was to win a medal for the country during the London Olympics, but unfortunately that could not happen...
When Jwala and you missed out on the quarterfinal berth by a difference of just one point despite winning the match, it seemed as though the two of you had no clue as to what happened?
Yes, Jwala and I were unaware that we failed to make it to the quarterfinals despite winning the match. We knew we had to win by a certain margin, but the exact number eluded us. It was much after the match that we got to know of our fate. Plus, there was so much drama happening around that time...
Drama?
To be honest, a few countries did not play fair and we had to bear the consequences. The Chinese and Indonesians have always ruled the roost in badminton. Post our ouster, we lodged a formal protest, but it fell on deaf ears. Of course, the complaint was lodged a little late in the day. Gopi sir (Pullela Gopichand) too was very vocal about the issue. However, the decision was completely unfair. We have to work so hard to book a berth for ourselves at the Olympics. But there are countries like Australia, South Africa, Canada and others, who don't really have to qualify as they get in through the Continental spot.
Heard that you won't be teaming up with Jwala in the future?
That story is completely wrong. I'm not planning on changing my doubles partner. It's just that Jwala is taking a break now and since I'll be playing, I have to pair up with other players. We'll be back soon.
What about playing singles?
It's not easy to shift gears from doubles to singles and vice versa in a blink of an eye. Both formats need a lot of training and different sets of disciplines. I'm happy playing
doubles for now.
Saina, Jwala and you are credited with making the sport glamourous.
I'm flattered when people call me glamourous. When Saina broke into the scene, she brought along a lot of new fans of the sport. Ditto with Jwala and me. One has to be a good performer to get people into watching a sport which is not cricket. It's nice to be well-dressed on court. Of course, people have loved watching us play and that's a great thing.