Exclusive | ‘Promising phase’: former world junior no. 1 Sankar Subramanian stay based as India Search Badminton Revival | Badminton News – The Times of India

New Delhi: dented dreams, tournaments that end too quickly and another overwhelming campaign: similar themes have lately played for Indian shuttlers.What was a steady source of medals not so long ago has become a disappointment for a country with an Olympic silver medal winner, world champions and some of the biggest names of the sport.The recent BWF world championships in Paris offered a different memory. In addition to satwiksairraj rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s Bronze, which could have been something much better, neither PV Sindhu nor Lakshya Sen could conquer the mountain of expectation. Sindhu left in the quarterfinals, while the Lakshya run ended in the opener. Even if we don’t stick to one tournament and look at the bigger picture, many Indian faces that ever dominated the world stage have faded in recent years and the young people have not yet succeeded in filling that emptiness.In the midst of the reversal of the fortune for the Indian Badminton, former junior world no. 1 in Sankar Subramanian, remains hopeful and asks fans somewhat to put trust in the ‘next generation’, his generation. “If someone has been the world junior no. 1, I feel Indian Badminton is located in a promising phase. We already have world -class players who have proven themselves at the highest level, and the next generation also shows a lot of potential, “Sankar said Timesofindia.com During an exclusive chat.Sankar was born in 2004 and has so far achieved a career-best men’s hir of 52, with his best result a victory over World No. 2 Other Antonsen at the Swiss Open Super 300 tournament earlier this year in March.

Historical victory over World No. 2 Other Antonsen (File photo)

“I can’t imagine that I would do something else, maybe I would have been a tennis player or have certainly been to a sport! My father played tennis, and my sister is a professional badminton player, so sport is in the family,” he added.Sankar reached the final of the 2021 Uganda International, won silver at the 2022 world championships. 2024 was a year in which injuries, provoked by a hectic schedule, became his biggest opponent.But he gradually regains his momentum: “This year I had the luxury of more training time and that has been a big plus.”However, the victory against Antonsen remains special. “It was a great victory, yes, but to be honest, there was no time to celebrate. I just wanted to maintain the momentum, “the 21-year-old remembered.” Rankings do not define the competition for me. I just take one game at a time, regardless of who’s going on. I just try to concentrate on one shot at the same time and continue. “Sankar is often described as defensive and wants to stay away from labels. “For me it’s not about proving someone wrong; it’s about what the game requires. If the situation asks for attack, I go for it,” he added.

Even if India’s badminton -presence is decreasing worldwide, Sankar is optimistic about the talent pool, although he emphasizes the need for more work.“To move to the next phase and consistently dominate the World Badminton, I think the work is already on: Better Grassroots programs, more access to powerful training and a larger support team around players, including sports sciences, psychology and recovery,” he explained.Coming from the state of Tamil Nadu, he sees progress at the level of the state and adds: “I am closely linked to Tamil Nadminton Association and I have seen the progress of Tamil Nadu Badminton visibly over the years!” With the 2028 Olympic Games, Sankar thinks Indian Badminton can return to the top. “If we can build that ecosystem and give young players consistent and early exposure to international tournaments, India has the talent not only to produce champions occasionally, but to stay at the highest level year year.”Badminton in India may have lost that Golden Touch for a moment, but young athletes such as Sankar Subramanian are in the heart of this modern Renaissance and do everything to ensure that the future is all smart.