Upsetting Olympic medallists boosted my confidence to beat top 10 shuttlers: Malvika Bansod

New Delhi: India shuttler Malvika Bansod felt proud of her performances in the 2024 BWF season but admitted that accomplishment comes with a sense of responsibility to continue to perform.

Malvika, who has defeated Olympic medal winners twice in her career -- Sania Nehwal in 2022 and Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in 2024 -- said such big upsets have boosted her confidence that she can challenge the top 10 ranked players and can also win against them.

"When I started playing badminton, I had never thought in my life that I'd even get to watch Saina play. So when I got to play a match against her, it was almost a dream come true. And the icing on the cake was that I won that match and I played so well. So it was a really amazing feeling for me," Malvika told IANS in an interaction facilitated by JetSynthesys.

"It boosted a lot of confidence in myself. And after that win, I got a lot of recognition, not only in India, but also abroad. And after winning against the reigning Olympic bronze medallist Gregoria, it was also a very confidence-boosting match for me. It showed me that I'm right there and I can challenge the top 10 of the world and can challenge to win against them. And even though I won, but there are a few points wherein I thought that I could have improved.

"When you play against the top 10 of the world, there are a few points for which you can clearly see that this is okay. We won the match, but there's always something good and bad in every match. So, a player should be active enough to understand that and work on those improvements. I got to know a few learnings, and the same was there in the Hylo Open final as well. So, I know where I need to work on," she added.

Malvika, who rose to the limelight after finishing runner-up at the 2022 Syed Modi International in her debut BWF tour after upsetting her idol and London Olympics bronze medallist Saina, again stunned another Olympic medallist, Gregoria of Indonesia, a Paris 2024 bronze winner, at the China Open and made the final of the Hylo Open, becoming the third Indian women singles shuttler after Saina and PV Sindhu to reach the final of the BWF tour event outside India.

"It was a really amazing feeling to be the third Indian female shuttler to play a final outside India. And I felt really proud of my accomplishment at that time. I would like to mention that along with feeling proud, there's also a sense of responsibility that I have to continue to perform in the same way. And there's a lot more to learn. It does feel great to be sharing that position with those two great ladies. But again, there's a lot to work on. So, it's a proud feeling, but it comes with a sense of responsibility as well," Malvika said.

In 2023, however, Malvika faced a struggling phase with fitness as she suffered medical complications, contracting dengue and typhoid. Reflecting on her recovery phase and how she regained her strength and fitness to come back stronger on the court, she elaborated, "Actually, I contracted dengue and typhoid together at the same time. So, getting recovered from that was a really big task. And I want to acknowledge the support of my family at that point in time, who stood by me. And without that support, I would not have had the strength to come back so strong."

"And I had to work a lot on improving my health to reach the normal stage, and then start working on my strengths again, because after dengue and typhoid, there was a lot of weakness, and badminton demands a lot of energy. So it was a really tough task, getting all that strength and fitness again," she added.

After getting back to her full strength, Malvika made a winning return to the competitions in February 2024 as she claimed the women's singles title at the Azerbaijan International badminton tournament. Later in September, she stunned Paris 2024 bronze winner Gregoria in straight games, again joining the elite ranks of Sindhu and Saina by advancing to the quarterfinals of the Super 1000 China Open.

"But then this year, again, I started on a good note in 2024 by winning the Azerbaijan challenge. I slowly and steadily worked on my diet and my fitness. And yes, it was tough. So I looked after that all on my own. And I'm proud that I could get back strongly to give a few good performances," said Malvika.

When the Nagpur shuttler pulled off a sensational victory over World No. 6 Gregoria at the China Open, she was competing without her travelling coach.

Asked about her mindset of competing without a coach, the 23-year-old shuttler said, "It depends on how you have grown as a player. I've been a person who gives her own input as well into what needs to be done in my training program. So the on-court part, definitely my coach looks after that.

"But off-court, yes, sometimes, as I have garnered some experience by looking at bigger players like Sindhu and Lakshya, and a few of the things I've learnt from them. I also look after that fitness part quite a lot on my own as well.

"But it depends on if a player is used to working with a coach on-court and a trainer off-court since a very young age, so they like to work with someone. But for me, I don't find it very uncomfortable to train without a trainer. But definitely at top-10 level, you do need professional help. That I totally agree."

Speaking about her target for next year, Malvika said, "Next actually will be the Malaysia Open, which is there in January, followed by the India Open. So these are the upcoming few big tournaments. And after that, the All England will be there, which is the mother of all tournaments in the badminton circuit throughout the world."

"These are a few tournaments that I'm targeting to reach into the top 25 and top 20 and then progress ahead to 15 and a top 10 as we progress. Being consistent is the key to be in the top 10 of the world. So that's what I would like to follow," she revealed.

Speaking about her association with Real Sports and JetSynthesys, Malvika said, "I'm really thankful to them for having me on board and looking forward to a very strong association with them. I'm sure that they're going to be part of a wonderful journey."

"Malvika’s journey is a story of talent, grit and perseverance, which is what Real Sports also stands for, in our mission to support and nurture world-class athletes from India," said Rajan Navani, founder and CEO, JetSynthesys.

"Malvika Bansod represents the next wave of Indian badminton talent, and we are honoured to welcome her to Real Sports. With Malvika, we see immense potential to drive meaningful engagement for both, her and her growing fan base," added Tarish Bhatt, chief business officer, Real Sports.