Hunters are on the prowl

Hyderabad: Youngsters they are but they form the fulcrum of top title contender. As the things stand, the two are all geared up to put up a show that would fetch Hyderabad Hunters the coveted trophy to mark its memorable championship debut.

By the time the Premier Badminton League (PBL) concludes on January 17, the two some of K Nandagopal and ASS Siril Verma dream not only of being an integral component in the franchise but also play a pivotal role as regulars in the national squad in the season ahead.

Hugely talented in their respective categories, Nandagopal and Siril are waiting for the first serve on January 2 that will begin the refurbished badminton league. PBL has an envious global assemblage to usher in the Olympic year.

Meanwhile, Nandagopal is already the centre of attraction, so to say. Sporting a new and colourful hair-do, the 24-year-old is certain to attract a large number of female fans whenever he turns up for action.

Unlike the Mohican cut made famous by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Nandagopal, whose younger brother Kidambi Srikanth will don the Bangalore Top Guns’ colours, is sporting an interesting hairstyle, this time around.

Quiz him on this penchant and the reply comes as swiftly as his service returns. ‘Actually I am fascinated by newer hairstyles. It has become a matter of habit, I must admit. You know, I have changed my hairstyle at least ten to 15 times in the past three years. Of course, I don’t try to imitate any particular celebrity’s style. I wish to get one of my individual choice. I wish to look different,’ explains Nandagopal on his fad which his parents are okay with as long as he does not ‘overdo on the colour’ front.

In contrast, Siril is the more docile kind. ‘I am keen on making it big. There is so much to learn from players of eminence like Parupalli Kashyap, Lee Chong Wei, Markis Kido and Carsten Mogensen. I am sure that the invaluable tips that they all will give will bring in changes in my playing style. This will bolster my morale when I enter the international circuit in the days ahead,’ points out Siril, the current national No one and international No 12 in Under-19 men rankings.

The Bhimavaram native, who is a 12th Standard Commerce student at Glendale Academy in Hyderabad, is confident that his team will bring home the trophy.

The World Junior Championships silver medallist at Peru, who joined the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy (PGBA) in 2006, opines that the PBL would be ‘a learning experience for youngsters like me because we would be interacting and watching champion performers from the closest quarters.’

The Under-15 Junior Asian Championships titlist and the first Indian to win the Badminton Asia Youth Championships may not be playing the crunch matches but he understands that the learning process would be a continuous one. Perhaps, the babe among the team’s men is bidding his time.

Echoing similar sentiments and equally confident of the team winning laurels, the Guntur-born PGBA trainee, Nandagopal, who shunned singles once and for all to stay focussed on doubles, contends that his experience in IBL will come in handy.

‘It was a very rewarding experience because I could get to learn from the seniors. It was an exposure that is holding me in good stead. As for Hunters, we have top grade match winners in Kashyap and Lee while Kido and Mogensen will prove more than a handful for the opponents,’ points out the doubles World No 140.

Matured from experience, he says that the fortnight-long adventure would be the ideal preparatory ground for the Indian players, who are eyeing a podium finish at Rio. ‘I am not overawed by the presence of champion performers in other teams. As a professional, my task is cut out and that I will deliver,’ points out Nandagopal, who will actually be the vital link to the team’s prospects given that he will play the crucial doubles matches that could be the clinchers in close battles.

A unique aspect of the Hunters package is that three players have celebrated their birthdays recently. Siril has his birthday on Christmas, Nandagopal a day later on Boxing Day while December 28 is the big day for another doubles specialist, Meghana Jakkampudi. The Hyderabad Hunters are on the prowl looking for prey, so the others better watch out.

By Sridhar K Penna