Small town, big feats

NAGPUR: Last week Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar lauded the contribution of the small town boys in Indian cricket and said these players are 'more motivated' to make it big. Badminton too seems to be going the same way.
The Indian team for the Asian Badminton Championships in China from April 19 to 24 is a case in point. Very few players are from metros or big cities.Saurabh Verma has found a berth in the squad as one of the singles players along with Ajay Jayaram and B Sai Praneeth.
The 19-year-old belongs to Dhar, which is about 60 kms from Indore. He shifted to the Hyderabad-based Pullela Gopichand Academy a couple of years back to sharpen his skills. Top players such as P Kashyap and Arvind Bhat will not be participating in the ABC as they will be busy preparing for the Indian Open Super Series which will begin in the Capital from April 26. The absence of big guns has provided Verma a golden chance to prove his mettle.
The teenager becomes the first player from Madhya Pradesh since Siddharth Jain to get a berth in the national squad. Jain last played for India in 2001. In the last ten years, no MP player has managed to break into the senior squad even though there were a few who represented the country at the junior level.
"It's a great opportunity for me to play in the ABC. I have represented the country in junior international tournaments but this is my first big break for the senior side. The onus is now on me to prove my worth," Verma told TOI on Monday.
Verma will take on Mohammad Arif of Malaysia in the first round. He believes if he plays to potential he has a chance to clear the first hurdle. "He (Arif) is a good player, but I am preparing hard under Gopi sir. I hope to do well in China," added Verma.
The rising star of MP hit the headlines when he won the All India Ranking tournament at Valsad (Gujarat) in February beating several top-ranked players. The talented shuttler has made rapid strides in the last one and half years and was also ranked India No. 1 in BAI rankings.
"This season is crucial for me. I want to play as many international tournaments as possible to improve my world ranking. I am presently ranked 233, but my target is to break into the top 100 before the year ends," said Verma, who was ranked 159 last year.