I lived the dream of standing on the podium of the Olympics
and getting a medal for the country and being
the first woman to get it for the badminton in India.
When I reached top ten or top eight,
that is when I really thought I should really try to be
world number one some day and then when I actually
saw myself there, then I was just really happy.
To actually have sport transform,
bring pride to an entire nation,
and people feeling so proud about themselves,
because of that, I think that seems almost magical.
Gopi sir has been a tremendous influence on Indian badminton,
with the medals with Saina and Sindhu,
I think he's definitely got Indian badminton
to greater heights because of him.
So yeah, a lot of credit goes to him.
You know I think Gopi Sir has been very,
very lucky for all of us.
Giving a hundred percent to the academy
is what made this special yeah.
Even if you miss the shuttle,
I want all of you to try! Try!
Each time you have to go,
go for the shuttle even if the shuttle is past you.
One... Two.
Three... Four... Five.
Six, good.
Up! Up! Up!
This is how you have to do.
It's like, you're like within yourself,
within yourself, within yourself...
You have to do that, continuously.
For me, this whole journey of sport,
badminton, from the day I started to now
has been a dream.
I think that seems almost magical.
And for me, from then until now,
where there's results, where there's belief
and there's a future which players are looking at
is something which is phenomenal.
Tuesday evening is pure off-court session
because you've already had three sessions of hand work.
Bicep curls, this and this
because I think legs will be okay.
Clear? Okay.
So for me to win the 2001 All England,
it was an ego booster.
Pullela Gopichand is All England Champion!
The first player from India for twenty-one years
to lift this title.
Because as an All England champion,
you're still signing autographs.
You're not, you're still not the biggest cricketer,
but still, you're still a celebrity
and then you're posing for pictures,
you are wanted everywhere.
When I started coaching, the good thing was that
since I was All England champion,
they really trusted me,
and whatever I said was believed totally.
When I said, "You're world champion material,”
they actually thought they were.
People started to believe more and more.
Think I would say it's been a very special journey.
He opened this academy in 2008, and before that
he was helping us out in the Gachibowli stadium.
So in my career, I got this academy
where everything was taken care of.
Every requirement was fulfilled.
Go on Meghna a little more. Nice! Very good.
Good touch, very good! Up! Good.
Slow, slow, slow
Gopi sir is a really cool, calm and dedicated person.
I really admire him and his devotion towards the sport.
He motivates and encourages me a lot.
When I was going through a tough time,
he supported me a lot.
He told me not to give up and continue.
Faster, faster Meghna. Up! Up! Up! Up!
I don’t think his technique is right.
Everyone has pain.
When I am doing a single leg, I mean single hand.
This is my music system.
I always keep listening to songs.
And this is my favorite blanket I got in Commonwealth Games.
And this one is inspiring me, always.
I wake up and see this India team,
so I get motivated every morning.
When I wake up everyone has some sea views,
mountain views, some natural views,
but I have some special view. Come, I will show you.
So I wake up, I come, then I see this view.
I get this view every morning.
So it feels so pleasant for me to watch in the morning,
early morning, so it's so nice.
Here like we have many coaches and many inspiring players.
So as well as being in the National Camp
and Gopichand Academy, so we have many facilities
and physios as well.
Many players are well to play with,
I would say outside there are like
very few people to play games,
but here you have like many people,
like almost 230 people so you can switch around
and play games together so that helps you to improve.
Chirag is like a friendly guy, he's my second brother.
Satwick is a very fun loving guy.
He's an amazing partner and a really dear friend.
Yeah, very excited. I think...
Yeah, first Olympics and I hope
to get back with a medal.
That’s the plan. That’s the aim.
-That’s the secret. -Yeah.
Practice yeah in a bubble, but go like group.
So my ultimate dream is to win a medal in the Olympics.
There are many players who have set in high standards.
It's good actually you know, to have such players
in the academy so that you get motivated by them
and then you always follow them and push yourself
so that you can also be at that level one day.
You feel happy with the break like this
because the body is so still thirsty for...
So you have to disregard ranking at some point.
And then you have to bring in a space for yourself to
work back on your physicality, the mental issues,
and also technically where you are.
So the ultimate dream is definitely the Olympics.
Winning the Olympic gold is one of the biggest dreams for me.
So it's about winning tournaments.
It's about winning World Championships
Asian Games, Commonwealth Games.
So the ultimate goal is definitely the Olympics.
2000 Sydney for me as a player was big
because you've kind of,
when you're 26-27 as a badminton player,
you almost know that this is probably your last Olympics,
especially at that point of time where 25-26
was supposed to be your peak years.
So for me, I knew that this was the big Olympics in 2000.
And then I lost, I lost and I lost hope.
It was miserable.
I think the next few months was miserable.
So one of the big things was
win an Olympic medal for the country.
So for us, that was a big dream.
And then when we started the academy,
then I would go to a lot of people asking for sponsorships
and donations and stuff.
And we would talk about
what your dreams are, goals are.
We literally built the academy
brick by brick without a contractor.
We just paid from our pockets.
It was a really tough time.
I went to my bank and told them
they know me for life well, then they said,
"Okay, we'll give you the money."
Then we pledge in my house and then took a loan from them.
Initially, we did not have the full funds,
but slowly, slowly, slowly year after year,
we were able to complete the project
and then come to this space.
We faced so many difficulties.
Gopi’s first thing was to mortgage the house.
So without saying "No," we just said "Yes,"
and that's how we started.
And from then on, we never looked back.
I think the experiences which Gopi sir has shared with us,
really helped us to pick up the sport
at International level quite quickly.
We reached like from number 100
to I would say to number 15 in like two, three years.
So this was because of him sharing that experience,
what he had to go through and how much he trained
so that he could become at that level.
Two times, two times, and the last one's three times.
Smash step two times, smash step two times,
then smash step.
You go here. Smash step, this one.
Then last one is this smash cross.
And the fact was that we didn't have coaches.
And today, when I look back now
I have coaches to man each batch,
but then I was head coach for junior batch,
senior batch, doubles batch and every batch.
So I would have to be literally there.
So I was putting in insane 14 or 15 hour on-court sessions,
and I would be doing office work.
And I will also be travelling sometimes.
And it was like crazy, crazy amount of work I would put in.
When you see now,
all the hard work which we did definitely,
once you get so many results you will be satisfied
with whatever hard work you have done.
So it's a very different and really great journey.
I think as of now looking up, Sai looks to be there.
And I do believe that they too have a chance
at the Olympics this coming summer.
He's been somebody who everybody
knew would have a talent.
If he finds an answer in a game,
he can pull out the game from that point.
Very smart in the way he works on court
and he needs to just put that little extra momentum
into his physical strength,
and he's going to actually cross the last barrier.
We both met for the first time, we had a huge conversation.
And after that for our families and all that,
within six months, yeah we got married.
He's very calm,
like during your emotional states,
I will go high and go low, he'll be always be settled
because he's an athlete, I don't know.
The thing I like in her is that she is very understanding.
She knows that I can’t spend enough time with her
during the day or when I practice.
Yeah, then she's very understanding.
That is the most important thing and I liked that.
I am actually interested in cooking,
but because of this practice and all,
I don't have time
and also no energy to cook, even if I want to.
But in the lockdown there was nothing to do.
So yeah, I did some cooking.
I tried some cooking.
-Hmmm. -Yeah it’s good.
It’s very nice.
I didn't expect him doing...
It's all for you.
It's not about how much you do, it's how much you know.
It’s a very important year because of the Olympics.
Until now, we have enjoyed together,
and I think from now,
I think I have to focus on my game also.
So whatever I have to do, I have to do for the game
because of the Olympics.
Olympics, definitely my expectation will be like,
"I want him to get a medal for the country."
So definitely I'll be expecting that from him.
Nothing much. Yeah.