The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : For the love of the racket

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Monday, Oct 13, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

For the love of the racket

J.S. Ifthekhar

Meet one of the earliest woman players of Hyderabad

Looking forward: Now on the wrong side of 80, Snehalata Bhoopal (middle) is quite excited about the exploits of Saina on the court.

Hyderabad: What have Snehalata Bhoopal and Saina Nehwal in common? The love for the racquet sport. While the latter is India’s most promising woman shuttler, not many are aware that Snehalata nursed similar ambitions.

She was one of the earliest woman players of Hyderabad and the founder secretary of A.P. State Badminton Association in 1956-57.

Those days the game itself was a sport of a few families like Qader Yar Jung, S.M. Hadi, Naqvi. There were not many women players but Snehalata, Farida Baig and Shameem Baig took to the sport and made their mark.

Now on the wrong side of 80, Snehalata is quite excited about the exploits of Saina in the court.

And when the Beijing quarter finalist returned home, she greeted her warmly and presented an album of newspaper clippings of her achievements. “She is developing very well. But we were not so lucky those days,” recalls Snehalata. There was no financial support nor proper courts. Her parents never allowed her to visit the Secunderabad Club to play. It was only after her marriage that Snehalata fulfilled her wish. There was a hall at Mettuguda and a thatched roof hall at the Exhibition Grounds. The Zoroastrian Club had one but it was open only to the Parsis.

This apart there were some social restriction on the dress. “Initially my mother used to play wearing sari and then she shifted to salwar kameez and divider shorts,” says Snehalata’s daughter, Anuradha Reddy.

She honed her skills under Henry Ferreira at the Rajkumari Amrit Kaur Badminton Coaching Scheme, Bombay, and was inspired by Nandu Natekar.

Though not a champion, she played for the State. “I have seen players like Finn Kobero, Erland Kopps and Eddie Chong in action,” says Snehalata – her voice betraying the thrill.

She is happy that today girls enjoy greater freedom and family support.

Any advise for the youngsters?

“Badminton is a game. Enjoy it. Remember the other person has a racquets too,” she says quoting Kenneth R. Davidson.

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