Happy as he is with Anup Sridhar’s achievement, Indian badminton legend Prakash Padukone has a word of caution for the young man.
“I am happy with what Anup has done but not satisfied,” he said. “If one is satisfied, there will be stagnation. There is no doubt that he has done well. After all, the World Championship is a seven-star event and all top players in the world will play there. It is not like an open event. The draw was tough and he was unseeded. But there should be a desire to keep doing better.
“Even when Anup was down 13-18 against Taufik, he did not give up. He was not happy with just extending a good player but wanted to do that extra bit and try to win. That is a good trait and should be maintained.
“However, one must not get carried away with success. Anup needs to continue to do what he has been doing so far. He should be aware of realities. To reach that level itself shows that he is not lacking technically. The main reason he is doing well is that there is belief within himself that he can do it. That is a trait which all players should cultivate,” Padukone added.
Padukone said there were many other factors that can determine a player’s success. “Confidence is the key to how he handles the future because there will be a little pressure now. He has to maintain his confidence because the near future is crucial,” Padukone opined.
Padukone said Sridhar should opt for a right mix of camps, tournaments and rest, with self analysis and improvement coming in after every event. He also felt training abroad would be a boon for Sridhar. “This is the right time to be in a place like Denmark. He should have three or six-month playing stints. He should be with players who are of his standard or better. There will be no distractions and he can concentrate fully on the game,” Padukone felt.