End of the road?

Hyderabad: Is it the end of the road for the famed guru-shishya jodi of Pullela Gopichand and Saina Nehwal?

The end of the jugalbandhi that has been extraordinarily productive is doing the rounds since the time news broke out on Wednesday that the London bronze medallist has been pressing for having Vimal Kumar on the Incheon-bound bandwagon. Not surprisingly, it has opened up a Pandora’s Box with several questions cropping up of which many remain unanswered.

Her decision to move to Bangalore earlier last week sparked off a debate that she and her mentor were close to parting ways, although Gopichand refused to be drawn into the controversy.

Grapevine has it that there is more to it than meets the eye on Nehwal’s decision to get eleventh hour training under former chief national coach Vimal Kumar. As a preparation for Asian Games it does indicate that Nehwal wanted to be away from fellow-shuttlers who are heading for Asian Games but is it not showing disrespect for the governing rules whereby players should train as a collective unit?

Why has there been a change of heart and when exactly did India’s trump card realise that she was better off fine-tuning her skills away from the courts at Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, wondered a veteran. He also wanted to know if this shift to Bangalore a fortnight ahead of the coveted event will help Saina change her approach to matches or assure her of better performances and enrich India’s medal prospects. Somehow the whole episode smacks of ego-ridden decisions that can only spell disaster for the country’s hopes.

There is nothing wrong in wishing to have Vimal Kumar around during the Asian Games but is it in anyway going to change the equations or brighten prospects of podium finishes. To put it more bluntly, can a player have another official coach around when representing the country, which already has the services of a chief coach who is available at a player’s beck and call on match days? There is something terribly wrong somewhere although the differences and cold war like vibes or whatever there is to it is getting camouflaged, at least for now. Strangely, the parties involved are making no attempts to set right things from going awry.

A few years back all hell broke loose when Chetan Anand and Jwala Gutta refused to train under Gopichand ahead of a major tournament. The relations between them only worsened and reached a flashpoint sooner than later.

Nehwal has gone on record on umpteen occasions that she wished to establish an academy in Bangalore (a sentiment that was echoed by Mary Kom). It might be premature to dwell on this possibility but the manner things have been unfolding on the badminton front nothing is bringing cheer.

It is not about Saina or Gopichand that matters but it is the possible impact on the others in the squad that may dent potentialities on D-Day. Even worse is that the sport’s badminton powerhouses will all be seen in action meaning the timing is bad. It certainly is one step forward and two backwards for Indian

badminton that is gearing up for the Asian Games rather ambitiously.