Srikanth, we saw many players start their journey with this academy and they are on their own now. How long will you be in this academy?
Can you name some of the players who left? PV SindhuWell, who else? I have no plans to leave this academy.
You have reached where no Indian man has reached till now. Do you think you are the greatest Indian men’s singles player?
I can’t say that I am the best. People have to be told. Personally, I think I could have done a lot better. If I win medals in all major events, I can say after I retire. But I don’t want to talk about it right now.
Who do you think is the toughest for you among Indian men’s singles players?
I think it’s all tough. Each has a unique playing style. I find it very hard when I play them. If I don’t play my best, I can’t win against any of them.
Who is the best in the world now?
At the moment we have Momota, Axelsen, Antonsen, Loh, chow tien chow Etcetera. But what is important in major events is that you have to play exceptionally well in that one hour. If you don’t play well for an hour, your preparation will be in vain. Look, no one expected Momota to lose. That one hour is quite important.
You missed a very important year because of a knee injury. Do you think you have passed that stage?
For now, I think the injury phase is over. I am confident about the way I am progressing on the court. Now let’s talk about improvement.
Have you ever analyzed why you got injured?
I got hurt while playing. It took a long time to find the reason. But now I know the reason and we are careful not to get hurt again.
Who do you choose as your successor?
Target is doing very well. I am seeing many youngsters here doing well in practice. Priyanshu, Sai Charan Koya, Cyril, Rahul are many talented youngsters.
After missing out on gold, how are you planning for next year’s world championships.
Next year is a very important year. There is no time to celebrate this silver medal. From 10th January we have India Open, All England, then Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Asian Games. But I am glad that I actually reached the summit at the right time. My only focus is on keeping it up and getting better from here. The next eight to ten months are very important for me. Even if I played the final, there will definitely be some negatives. And I want to talk to Gopi Anna and find out what went wrong.
Did playing a tough semi-final against Lakshya affect your performance in the final?
I do not think so. It is quite common to play such big matches in such big events. I had my chances again in the final. Not that I lost it that easily. I was leading in the first set and also at the end of the second set. But I really couldn’t control my mistakes.
What are the positives from this tournament?
I liked the way I played. What I loved the most was that I was aggressive throughout the tournament. This is something that gave me a lot of confidence.
Were you under pressure in the final?
In the World Finals, everyone will be under pressure. I think I have made some mistakes. But Loh played well after 18-16, he controlled his emotions, I need to work on that.
How tough was your semi-final against the target. What was going through your mind?
I am watching his progress. He is playing exceptionally well. I wanted to go into the match and play well and win the match. I gave everything I got. So I was very tired. I was expecting it to be tough and I was ready for everything. But I thought the Olympics was not the end of the world and I would get a chance to prove myself
With the Worlds on the loose, do you think you missed your best chance to win gold?
I don’t think it was weak. Because everyone played except Momota. I am happy with the way I played after reaching the finals. I will work on it and improve.
How disappointed are you at not qualifying for the Olympics?
Actually, I was still the highest ranked player in the world. I was ranked 14th at that time and I should have qualified. In the first stage of qualification, I was not fit and could not play the tournament. But in the second stage I was fit and even reached the semifinals Swiss Open, But other tournaments got cancelled. you can’t help it
Do you think this medal is the best answer to all your critics?
I really don’t want to say that. I just want to prove that I am the best for myself. I kept believing that it was in me and I kept working hard. I am glad that I have been able to reach where I am today. I want to put my head down and work hard. I will try to win as many tournaments as possible.
2017 was the year of your dreams and you won it in 2021. When do you think you played the best badminton?
I am playing better now than in 2017. I had to work two to three times as much as I did in 2017.
How many more years do you think you can continue?
I do not know. I know I want to work hard and will continue to work hard. I will see, no matter how long my body takes, I will work hard. I will play as many tournaments as I can and win as many as possible. I want to work harder and do better for the next four-five years.
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