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During India’s semi-final against Japan in the 2014 Uber Cup last week, it seemed like India’s women badminton players would create history and reach the finals for the first time. The country’s two leading players — Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu — had done their bit in the singles and won their matches, leaving the best-of-five tie tantalising in India’s favour. The specialist doubles pair of Ashwini Ponappa and the feisty Jwala Gutta then took on the Japanese duo, Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi. It was a see-saw battle that went to the decider, where Japan triumphed. The momentum swung Japan’s way and India lost the remaining matches to lose the tie 2-3. National coach P Gopichand was candid enough to say, “Once we lost the first doubles, I didn’t think we had enough depth in our team to pull it off.”
Ponappa and Gutta had put up a brave fight, but at the crucial moments there were glaring failures. Gutta, especially, didn’t look too sharp or agile and many blamed her for the loss, pointing out that her reflexes had slowed and that she wasn’t as fast on the court as earlier. One of the most combative women shuttlers India has produced, Gutta turns 31 in September. With showcase events like the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and Asian Games in Korea coming up, her performance in the Uber Cup had people asking whether Gutta was past her prime.
“I don’t think so,” says Vimal Kumar, former India coach, “she played quite well in the quarter-finals and the previous rounds.” Even Gopichand acknowledged that Gutta and Ponappa had played competently. Ranked 36th in the world, the two had beaten Indonesia and Thailand teams, ranked 12th and 9th respectively, in the earlier ties. “Both Jwala and Ashwini played very well and they still form India’s best doubles team,” avers Kumar.
“We tried our best but sometimes results don’t go your way,” says Ponappa about the semi-final performance. As for the talk around Gutta after the match, she says, “She is perhaps an easy target.”
Gutta has had her share of controversy, the last major one in 2013 when the Badminton Association of India (BAI) banned her for life over her reluctance to play a match in the Indian Badminton League. Egged on by the Delhi High Court, Gutta’s ban was ultimately revoked and she was back to playing in India colours.
More than Gutta being past her prime, Kumar is worried about the lack of doubles talent coming through. “The problem isn’t Jwala or her form as such,” says Kumar, “it is the over reliance on her and Ponappa in every competition.” So serious is the dearth of doubles players that in the Uber Cup semi-final against Japan, when the tie went to the deciding fifth match, a doubles, India had to field the normally singles competitors, Nehwal and Sindhu.
“Even if Gutta isn’t playing well, who do we turn to in order to replace her,” asks Kumar. Other countries like Indonesia, Thailand and China have four or five teams that can easily substitute for their top pair in competition. India can only fall back on Pradnya Gadre and Sikki Reddy, who are ranked 87th in the world and have little international experience.
Gopichand says that Indian coaches don’t have the freedom to groom doubles specialists. They only look after individuals. BAI President Akhilesh Dasgupta acknowledges the problem and says that a foreign coach will be now hired to especially groom the doubles teams.
As for Gutta, she has talked of playing in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. She already has a gold medal in Commonwealth Games, a bronze in the World Championships and was the first woman doubles player from India to qualify for the Olympics. Perhaps her detractors are being too harsh in judging her as being past her prime.
For people in the sport, Gutta’s form isn’t such a big a concern for Indian badminton. The real problem is not having a decent back-up option. And till a player with the skills required for doubles play is unearthed, Gutta will have to continue shouldering the responsibility.
