What does it take to create a rising Indian badminton star in Kerala? Homemade clay courts built for volleyball, training from PE teachers, intervention from a coach, and good old-fashioned youth spirit propelled Trisa Jolly from the upstate village of Cherupuzha to badminton success.
Teresa and Gayatri Gopishand won the Super 100 in Odisha in their first year on the BWF tour in doubles, reached the semi-finals of the All England Championship, won the Commonwealth Games. He has won two medals and is currently ranked 34th. World.
Although there are many rumors about Gayatri, the daughter of Indian badminton superstar Praera Gopishand, Teresa (19) tends to go unnoticed. But it has its own fascinating history.
Her father, Jolly Matthew, a gym teacher and volleyball coach at a local girls’ school, built a court for them at home. Teresa, who was five years old at the time, inherited his passion for the sport, but at her age, badminton was considered an easier option.
“My father’s salary is around Rs 10,000 per month, so we can’t afford coaches, equipment or many games,” she told ESPN. “He added a tarp to the court to play during the rainy season. Badminton is an individual sport and in athletics you have to be selected and trained somewhere.”
She played badminton with ease, placing second in the under-11 state competition at the age of seven and winning various age group titles over the next five years. “Teresa beat everyone, including those who trained in very good academies,” Matthew told ESPN. “And she is the only one who guides me! I don’t know Hindi or English but she takes care of everything from travel to accommodation. She works hard and is determined.”
At the age of 13, they decided that she would have to leave home to get better, even if it meant that the family would have to sacrifice some material comforts. She then trained with Kannur University Director of Athletics Dr. Anil Ramachandran and her progress continues.
After making headway at the Indian Kelo Youth Games, Trisa joined Gopichand Academy in early 2020 for what she described as a life changing event. “I switched completely to doubles, and around the same time Gayatri also switched to doubles. Then the coach decided to put us in doubles, and since then everything has been really good,” she said on the sidelines of the event organized by GoSports. now one of its main supporters.
While Trisa and Gayatri excelled at the contender level in three finals in 2021, successive tournaments in India in early 2022 will be a turning point. At the Indian Open Teresa fell ill with Covid and was unable to play, but then they won the Odisha Super 100 and finished second at Semodi in January.
Then there was an England-wide breakout in March that made them all the more special as they only entered the game as a reserve upon release. “All England is a lot of fun. We come to practice and we think that if we don’t hit, we can at least train and shop,” she said with a smile. But not only were they successful, but after Olympian champions Gracia Polii and Apriyani Rahaia were eliminated halfway through, they advanced to the semi-finals, beating second place in three matches.
“We played without pressure. After the game with my idol Apriani, we said we have to win the next game because everyone will say we’re just going to the quarterfinals” – Teresa Teresa Say, give her an idea of her super aggressive delivery.
This aggression is also shown in her powerful game, which combined with Gayatri’s nimble play makes them a formidable partner. “My offense is my greatest strength. If she goes through the net, then I can attack, if I attack, she can complete. It works well. rebounds. If we have a good understanding off the field, then it shows up on the field and we have good connections in the academy. We’re the same age, so that’s an advantage.”
Doubles badminton in India is not often given the same importance as singles, which is changing as Satviksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty progress rapidly in men’s doubles. “Indonesian and Chinese players choose doubles when they are 13 or 14, but in India everyone wants to play singles,” she said.
However, on the advice of Academy coach Gopichand, Trisa happily opted for doubles as it brought more success. This is an important call, received very early.
“Trisa Jolly is an absolute powerhouse. She is strong, she has a good hard hand and character on the court. Strong to make up for the smashing, drive and aggression doubles players often need,” Shlok Ramchandran, a former Indian doubles player and current coach, said of Smart Choice. “For them, the soft-hard game works. Gayatri has amazing wrist touch, Trisa is more like an old school doubles player, most of her shots are accurate but her shots are high quality.”
There is still a long way to go as they face new challenges and more prepared opponents as they become more famous on the track. Their goal is clear – to compete at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. “Now we are No. 34 in the world, and by next year we will try to climb even higher, step by step, to enter the top ten.” a very successful pair of female counterparts. Combination. But now we want to set an example of how Satvik and Chirag inspire men’s twos.”
Post time: Oct-12-2022