Tumultuous buildup to CWG will put pressure on athletes: Jwala

A seven-time national doubles champion, Jwala said there are things which should have been better taken care of but the media should also have been a bit "more responsible" while reporting about the event, the build-up to which has been marred by allegations of corruption and shoddy construction work.

"I feel very sad by the way things have happened in the build up to the Games. There has been so much negative publicity which may have been avoided. Well, the stadiums could have been finished earlier but then the Indian government have done so much and such reports would only put pressure on the athletes," Jwala told PTI.

"I have not seen the village but my friends who are already there have told me that it is beautiful and really top class. There are issues with all big events but the foreign athletes form an opinion reading the reports which come out and I feel the media could have been a little more responsible," she said.

Jwala, who will partner V Diju and Ashwini Ponnappa in the mixed and women's doubles respectively in the Commonwealth Games, said the Indian team is in the best form and should win at least four golds in the event.

"This is my third commonwealth Games and I can tell you we are in the best shape and probably this is the best team we have in years. The Indian government has supported us very much and this is the best chance we can have to win medals and I feel India should win at least four golds," she said.

Jwala, however, rued the lack of sponsorship for the doubles teams."I have given my life to badminton. I have been one of the top players who have always given 100 per cent and made my country proud. I don't want to boast but me and Diju we have changed the history of badminton to an extent.

"Me and Diju have been the top six pair in the world but till this day, we don't have a sponsor. I don't like complaining but I don't think we have got what we deserve," she said.

Jwala and Diju were paired together by Indonesian Coach Hadi Sugianto for the Jakarta Satellite tournament in 2005 and the duo soon became a formidable team.

After a brief drop in form in 2007, the duo came back strongly and after a string of impressive performances at the international level, won the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold in 2009, before finishing second at the Super Series Masters last December.
Their big wins, saw them zoom from world Number 38 in January 2009 to number seven by December.

Jwala-Diju became the first Indian pair to reach the quarters of the World Championships in 2009 and finished in the final eight once again at the Paris edition of the tournament in 2010.