The Hindu : Sport / Badminton : Foreign coach at Gopi's training centre

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 22, 2005

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Sport - Badminton

Foreign coach at Gopi's training centre

V.V. Subrahmanyam

HYDERABAD: The budding shuttlers at the Gopi Chand's ABC training centre at Gachibowli had a pleasant surprise when IBF qualified coach, Thomas John, joined the programme to assist the former All England champion. John will stay in Hyderabad and be associated with Gopi's Academy on a long-term basis.

This London-based coach who has been coaching for almost 30 years also contributed to Gopi winning the prestigious 2001 All England championship by making video analysis of Gopi's opponents in that event. "He was really helpful and very friendly. He is a big motivator," recalls Gopi.

Gopi feels that his young trainees need someone whose approach is different. Unlike most of the Indians, Thomas John believes that the secret of success lies in the ability of the coaches to try and pick the best examples from the current champions.

"I personally believe that most of the Indians try to copy one or two former greats who were basically touch players, without bothering to have a close look at the reigning stars from among Koreans, Indonesians or the Chinese," he says.

Success mantra

Speed and skill are his mantra for success. The 51-year-old coach, son of a former Indian Navy official and now settled in England for more than four decades, says the biggest handicap for the budding talent in India seems to be lack of strength in the legs. "They have lot of natural talent. But, the essence lies in how to mould the raw talent into champion material. For instance, the crispness in their strokes is missing. These are minor adjustments which can bring about major results," he says.

The impact of Gopi's reputation on the youngsters is evident by the simple fact the Fateh Maidan Indoor Stadium in the heart of the city wears a deserted look as the trainees have decided travel to the ultra-modern venue at Gachibowli.

Thomas John stressed upon the youngsters, the importance of stroke selection, deception and the change of the length of returns. "These things should be taught very early to these kids. The best part is they are really enjoying the stint out there, are very keen learners," he compliments the youngsters.

Happy with response

Gopi is happy about the wonderful response from the parents. John chips in to assert that within two years, Hyderabad should have a couple of potential champions. With the training sessions spread over six hours and split into two parts daily, a beginning seems to have been made.

Gopi is still awaiting clearance from the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh to his proposal to meet the salaries of the coaches till his Academy takes a final shape on his own premises.

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