Kashyap wants men to match women's success

Published>Sat, Oct 16 10 04:52 AM

No crowns come easy in international sport, but P Kashyap reckons he'll need to work doubly hard to fight pitched battles in the competitive men's fields and get coronated king, even as women's badminton rules the charts with shuttle queens Saina Nehwal and Jwala Gutta at home.

Besides his two contemporaries and some seasoned rivals in India including Chetan Anand, who on his day can turn devastating, 23-year-old Kashyap also has to contend with India's illustrious history in the sport that has Prakash Padukone, Syed Modi and his coach P Gopichand, before he is granted the pre-eminence he seeks in his playing career.

That's one too many shadows to step out from, and some mighty boots to fill. Also a reason why the Hyderabadi prince-in-waiting is willing to bide his time and work his way up to where he sees himself in the coming seasons. "I want to be No.1 in India," he says, content at having beaten Chetan Anand in the bronze play-off of the Commonwealth Games, but adding, "but I want to go beyond that and reach a stage where men's badminton is as visible and recognized as the women's is right now.

"If I play World No.1 Lee Chong Wei next time, I want people to watch me in action and consider me a contender, but for that I'll have to reach that level and gain their faith."

It's a tall task, but Kashyap, who helped India to a silver medal in the team event when beating Rajeev Ouseph of England and also scalped Malaysian Muhammad Hafiz Hashim, believes he now has the confidence of beating top players, save the big 2 ? Chong Wei and Chinese Lin Dan.

Kashyap had fancied his chances against Ouseph a second time in the semis of the individual medal event, but plunged into the familiar pressure whirl that has seen him fritter advantageous positions at many tournaments. His frozen movements never thawed against Ouseph in the semis, and there's regret after watching the final, that the silver was up for grabs, if not for the stiffness that gripped him due to pressure. "I didn't sleep the night I lost to Rajeev, so I desperately wanted to be on the podium for the bronze at least. Also, my coaches had put their trust in me in the team event, so I had to prove to myself too that I could beat Chetan," he says, adding that his Indian opponent remains a dangerous prospect owing to his fluid play ? on his days.

His first win against Chetan in five matches also helped fulfill a dream that he's harboured for four years now, ever since he missed the bus to Melbourne. Hearteningly for him, even Chetan walked upto him and told him that had he not scuppered his chances against Ouseph in critical moments, India could've won a silver more.

Big wins in hard-fought matches have come intermittently, however the misses have been more than the hits. "I never forget how I've lost some narrowly - the way I went out at the Asian championships and then Vietnam, coaches have asked questions, and these defeats haunt," he says, adding that the World Championship loss was gutting, after he'd worked so hard and exited in the opening round after meeting a Top-10 player. "I worked harder for the CWG and ended with the bronze, so it's clear that there's just more hard work ahead," he says.

Besides support from team-mates, there was also the holy prasaad his mother had carried to Delhi hoping for a medal. "I was doubly scared that if I lost the bronze match she'd lose faith!" he joked. Ready with a quip always, he is well-equipped to handle the lows, even as he sets eyes on the highs, taking the men's cause further even as queens rule badminton.

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