Go, go, go!
For us, one of the general conceptions was that
Indians are not strong enough.
In a population of a billion,
I think we will have enough people with the physicality
to match many sports in the world.
I'm sure we have the physicality.
Nice, nice, good job.
From the strength perspective
and from a continuous training and an endurance perspective,
we need to work.
I think it's definitely a dream to be world number one.
And when I started it wasn't my dream,
but slowly, the moment I started playing internationals,
the moment I reached top 50,
the moment I reached top 25,
it was a slow process.
But then when I reached top 10 or top 8,
that's when I really thought,
"I should really try to be world number one someday."
And then when I actually saw myself there
I was just really happy.
Srikanth came in 2009, 10.
His brother came in and then this guy was for six months,
he didn't play badminton.
And then his parents come up and say,
“Boss, this guy is there. He's not doing anything.
So whether he becomes a player or not,
it's okay, but just take him in the academy
because his brother is there and he'll also tag along.”
So he came in and he was "happy-go-lucky guy."
He would come and play some mixed doubles,
some fancy strokes.
And he's somebody who has never said
“No’” to anything.
So he said “Yes.” He put his head down.
And as they say, the rest is history
because he's done phenomenally well.
I’ll take you through some of my best memories
and achievements today.
So all of these are very important in my career.
I won the Padma Shri award in 2018,
which is a very big award for any sportsperson.
So I was equally excited for it.
And then the Commonwealth Games silver,
because I couldn't really do well in 2014,
I was really charged up
for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and then to go out there
and win a gold and silver
in 2018 Commonwealth Games was very important
and it was a special win for me.
And to 2014 China Open as a start,
I think that has made me what I am today I feel.
Definitely I think the next time
I get any of these,
I think there'll be that Olympic medal on top of it.
I want a sprint not a stride. Maximum effort, come on!
Go, go, go, go, go!
Full, full, full, full, full! Sprint, sprint!
Ninety percent is not good enough.
Hundred percent. Hundred, hundred, hundred!
Well, especially if you decide to play doubles and mixed,
then intensity should not be an issue
because you might end up playing too much
as morning, too much as evening.
Domestic circuit or international
at the lower level,
or if it is international matches also,
it's at least two good matches a day
if you are playing doubles and mixed together.
So good job, well done.
Five. Six.
Seven. Eight.
For the athletes for various age groups,
there are different things which we focus on.
So whether it's strength, endurance or speed,
it depends on the age group which we are training,
and also it depends on where the tournaments are.
So we have a combination of both.
So we end up doing skill,
doing endurance, strength and speed.
So there's a session which is happening for the younger kids
which is working on skill.
Whereas the kids who are in the under-15 category
and 16, 17-year-olds,
they're working a little more on strength.
-Pranav, bend down. -Nineteen. Twenty.
I think the momentum which people generate
out of a rotation
compensates for the lack of power
in the hand of somebody who's big.
So for us, physicality is important,
but to know what your strengths are to work around it,
I think would be important.
Breath gently. Naturally.
For me also in my own life,
I’ve benefited tremendously
from yoga and breathing and visualization.
These were the things which I think they have so much
to offer to the world.
Whether it's yoga,
whether it's Ayurveda Siddha medicines,
or many other forms of performance enhancements.
This warmth is now travelling down to your temple.
To your eyes.
We need to adapt is what I would say.
Not necessarily because we will have to win medals,
but to actually just be the best version
of what you can be.
Slowly open your eyes.
And you can get up.
Whenever you win a tournament,
who do you inform again? First?
So by the time I finish my match,
the thing is I normally switch off my phone.
And then most of the times
I'm not having internet when I'm out.
So by the time I reach hotel, I'll have a message from him.
So I'll call him. So mom doesn't...
she isn't really that tech friendly.
So I'll call him. And then I'll talk with her.
Auntie do you watch? Uncle do you watch his matches?
-No, we never saw a match. -Not even one match?
We never saw.
Srikanth you have never asked your parents
to watch your matches?
I do. I tell them, like the thing is,
they will say it is very 50-50,
“We can't watch it out of tension,”
or whatever, so I tell them it's an easy match.
I'll win it easily.
I'll not give him more than 10 points, whatever,
but then they'll still not come and see it.
So you watch after the tournament is finished?
After the match.
I joined the Academy in 2009
and then, I know initially
I was really very scared to talk to him, but now I think,
we have some conversations once in a while and then...
He’s such a good human being.
So he’s a very good coach.
Everyone knows it, but a good human being, you know.
Every time I want some clarification
about anything you know, about training,
about tournaments or about strategies
or anything, he is always there to help me out.
And I think he was one of the biggest motivators,
one of the biggest inspirations for me.
And I think he’s one of the best coaches
that I've trained under.
I think the two things when he came up,
very unorthodox,
aggressive, different, and carefree,
and that's been the biggest plus point for him.
But with most players,
and today that's where the challenge he has,
is that when you are not a marked player
at the highest level, then you get away
and people don't read you.
But then if they find one answer against you,
the whole world will use the same answer
until you find an answer for that.
So that's where the "seesaw" happens
and they've been able to crack Srikanth's game
in certain ways.
He's able to operate against some players,
but really there are a few players at the top
who he still has to beat.
So he's capable of that.
For that he needs to rework on some things.
It's in a way funny to say this,
but the same things which got him here,
he will have to drop them now.
Because they've read those things.
And so his straight smash and follow up,
which has been his biggest strength,
he will have to knock it off
because people know that this
is where his biggest strength is.
He really made me do a lot of multi-shuttles.
He was there every time I was doing something
or some kind of running or whatever,
he was personally there.
And I think Gopi sir helped me a lot.
So preparation for the next Olympics,
I think the training is really very good.
I think we have an Indonesian coach now, Mr. Agus.
Transition, some free, some slow, looking nice, okay.
So he’s recently joined the Indian team and I think
he’s really taking a very good care.
Here, not too much.
Many body, left right on the body.
And I think you’ve got to be able
to play some tournaments before the Olympics,
I think that will help
every player to analyze their game.
And then, yeah, I'm just looking
to do well at the Olympics.
How come you’re staying here still?
Just move and get back into the center.
Always close in the angles. Angle can be free.