For shuttler Dhruv, the winning feeling could not have come sooner 

Express News Service

CHENNAI:  The historic Thomas Cup sojourn was a priceless one for the Indian shuttlers, who returned as heroes after returning as champions last month. For rising shuttlers, Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun, the winning feeling could not have come sooner. The duo have been on a steady rise and have been trying to find their feet in the doubles landscape, a category which was once considered to be an afterthought in the country due to a dearth of firepower.

The young Indian pair, who were taking part in the coveted event for just the second time in their career, played two matches and, more importantly, learnt about the importance of team spirit in an environment that can get the better of even the best. “We had 3-4 seniors like Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy. They helped us a lot, telling us what we have to do and to prepare for the team events. So it was a new thing, we were like a family. We were supporting each other from the start,” Dhruv recalled when asked about his experience.

That could rub off on the youngsters, who have asked tough questions to some of the elite players in recent times, thereby offering suggestions that they have the potential to join the ranks. Earlier this year, Arjun and Dhruv managed to win a game against the Indonesian pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan (World No 3) during the All England Championships. Even though they lost the match, it was a step in the right direction.  

“In the past six months or so, we have played top-10 players on a regular basis. We have lost close matches. I think we are very close, but I think we need more experience. We have to learn to cope during crucial situations of the match,” the 22-year-old, who’ll be taking part in the upcoming Indonesia Open which is scheduled to begin held from June 14 to 19.

Under Indian doubles coach, Mathias Boe, and the rest of the national coaches, Dhruv said that they are looking to address the gap. “Earlier, we were lacking in basic stuff like serving and receiving. We never gave that aspect of the game much thought. He (Mathias) works on that a lot. He has focussed on that aspect, how to keep control of the shuttle, how to make the game easy and you just don’t have to do so much… pressurise yourself so much during the game in the process.”

Full story: newindianexpress.com