New wave building up

A great transition is evident. A galaxy of new stars is taking form on the sports firmament. The next generation of sportspersons is getting ready to fill in the boots of their illustrious predecessors, when they call it a day. Shuttler Pullela Gopichand was inspired by the one and only Prakash Padukone when he won the All England Championships. N Mukesh Kumar played three Olympics, but was inspired by other old-time Olympians. Similarly, Sania Mirza looked up to Serena Williams and Venus Williams when she progressed in her career before she won her first Grand Slam.

They had no immediate local stars to gaze at. Saina Nehwal had Gopichand himself as mentor. Gagan Narang idolised foreign shooters. The new kids on the block are eager to snatch the spotlight. Working with more intensity and dedication, they are waiting in the wings to assert their status. P V Sindhu, for instance, has already carved out a niche for herself on the world arena. She has an even more voracious appetite for success than her predecessors. Like many during their early playing days, Saina was Sindhu's role model. Of course, Sindhu's motivation came from her parents, both volleyballers, P V Ramana and Vijaya.

Blessed with sporting genes, the physically-fit youngster has already proved that she is the next big star from the city. Her world ranking is showing an upward trend and this is a clear indicator of her international progress. Like Saina, she is not overawed by the Chinese, Indonesian or Korean shuttlers. Sindhu has already won two World Championship bronzes, Asian and Commonwealth medals. Sikki Reddy is another player with potential set to grab her place on the world stage. Gopichand-Lakshmi's daughter Gayathri and N Mukesh Kumar-Nidhi's daughter Yesheshwani are in their growing up stage, but they have proved that they have the right DNA to grace lofty avenues. These two girls are sure to make an impact soon.

Parupalli Kashyap has over the last few years established himself as a champion material, but he has to watch out for Kidambi Srikanth, who has done creditably well in recent times. Both had a good season last year. Srikanth made history by becoming the first Indian to clinch the Swiss Open Grand Prix gold. Before that he won the China Open Super Series, beating five-time World champion Lin Dan. His exploits have helped catapulted him rise to World No 4 while Kashyap is 13th in the latest rankings. Experts predict that Commonwealth Gold medallist Kashyap has the wherewithal to earn a medal in Rio Olympics.

There are other upcoming stars like Sai Praneeth, Prannoy, Ajay Jayaram and Gurusaidutt, who can reach higher levels in a few years time. It is indeed an aspect to be proud about that as many as six players are among the top 50 in world badminton. The tennis scene too looks promising with players like Yadlapalli Pranjala, Saketh Myneni and Vishnu Vardhan proving their worth. Pranjala is the next best thing to happen after Sania Mirza. Her growth has been steady with the latest being her inclusion in the ITF tour of Europe. With support from the GVK Foundation and the Federation, the Hyderabad-based teenager is bound to reach the higher echelons of the sport.

Saketh has a number of ITF and ATP challenger titles under his belt. A capable doubles player too, he has earned his spurs for the Indian Davis Cup team. He is surely a player to keep an eye for the future. Vishnu Vardhan has established himself but needs to sustain the degree of success. Hyderabad has a rich cricket legacy. However, with the exception of AT Rayudu and G Hanuma Vihari, the talent cupboard seems bare. Aashish Reddy has the potential but needs to show his consistency in big matches.

The reasons for this paucity of talent are within the system itself. Hyderabad needs to review the priorities and revamp the league system if they hope to get the next generation of cricketers coming. The hockey scene is even more critical. With hardly any activity and Mukesh's academy not taking off, there is no player worth mentioning. One wonders what the Sports School is doing with hockey. They had some good gymnasts, weightlifters and athletes but whatever has happened to these promising stars after coming out of the School? So is the case with football.

A city that boasted of having so many Olympians, international and national players is a far cry from those heydays. The chess scene too has dwindled. Once Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika and Pendyala Harikrishna bow out, there is hardly anyone to take over. Athletics have a good coach in N Ramesh, although no one has reached the levels that Satti Geeta and P Shankar achieved. The old order is fading. It is time for Gen X!!

By Valentine Wilson