The Hindu : Sport / Badminton : It’s time Indian shuttlers broke the jinx: Vimal

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Wednesday, Jun 20, 2007
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It’s time Indian shuttlers broke the jinx: Vimal

BANGALORE: The Indian performance at the Sudirman Cup World team badminton championship was very much on expected lines, said former national coach U. Vimal Kumar. “Given the limitations, they have played up to the potential. But what has been baffling over the past four years is that we have never made it to the second division, which is very much within our capability,” he told The Hindu.

Vimal pointed out that this being a mixed team event, which had accent on doubles, the absence of women’s combination of Jwala Gutta and Shruti Kurien was very much felt, though the scratch pair of Saina Nehwal and Aparna Balan put up a fight. “A couple of key ties that could have gone our way, went the other way.”

He complimented the mixed doubles pair of Aparna Balan and V. Diju and said Saina and Anup Sridhar, spearheads in the women’s singles and men’s singles respectively, were very much up to the mark. Vimal felt that Anup should have won his singles tie against France.

He, however, felt that it was time Indian shuttlers moved ahead on the Sudirman Cup ladder. “I hope next time around, we break the jinx of failing to make it to division two, despite topping our preliminary groups.” — Special Correspondent

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