Talented shuttler Tanya making steady progress

Tanya Hemanth is in control during rallies. Her sharp angles keep her opponents guessing. And Tanya’s biggest strength is deception as she often closes out points with her tricks. 

Rallying style is a test of one’s endurance and it demands a strong state of mind. During high-intensity scenarios or against big players, a slight dip in toughness could prove costly. Tanya wouldn’t deny this. 

“The year 2018 wasn’t great. I love to rally but in recent times, I have realised that my stamina and endurance need improvement. I am learning to attack more as only rallying won’t help me when I go on to play the senior category in the near future,” says Tanya.    

For someone who has made steady progress ever since she first played the game at the age of eight, Tanya has it in her to become an all-round player. It was her mother Rani Hemanth who triggered Tanya’s love for the sport. 

“I used to watch my mother play badminton at the Indiranagar Club and I liked it. That’s how I started training with Murali sir at the club,” recollects Tanya. 

Tanya tasted success in both singles and doubles sections at the State level on a consistent basis. The 15-year-old, who is the current U-17 State champion (singles & doubles), was also a gold medallist in the U-15 doubles category at the Sub-junior national meet in Tenali last year. 

She also bagged the U-15 singles crown in an All-India meet in Kakinada last year.

Her consistency saw her represent the country at the Asian Badminton Championship in Myanmar last year. But the biggest win of Tanya’s career arrived at the BWF U-19 Dubai Junior International Series earlier this year. “It was really exciting for me to play in an international event. The final, of course, was the toughest game but I am glad I nailed gold in singles,” she offers. 

Krishna Kumar, Tanya’s coach at the I-Sports Academy from last five years, calls her a fast learner. “After the first two years of training, Tanya’s stroke quality massively improved. She has brilliant control and her deception is really good. In the next two years, I am expecting her to play in the higher category (U-19) and beat bigger players. For that, she needs to work on her speed and attack,” he explains.   

Daughter of businessman Hemanth, Tanya is a 10th-grade student at National Public School (Indiranagar). Tai Tzu Ying, the world no 1 from Taiwan, is her inspiration. “I love her mental strength during pressure situations. And she is a master of deceptive strokes. There is so much to learn when you watch her play,” she says.