The Men Behind The Success Of PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik And Dipa Karmakar

Behind every successful man there is a woman goes the conventional saying. For our athletes, however, it is the exact opposite. Behind the three girls, Dipa Karmakar, Sakshi Malik and P V Sindhu are three dedicated men who dared to dream and who have already started to look ahead and plan for the next mega event 每 the 2018 CWG and Asian Games. While we celebrate Sindhu, Sakshi and Dipa, it is every bit important to celebrate Pullela Gopichand, Kuldeep Singh and Bishweshwar Nandi.

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Act 1 Scene 1 每 The match had just ended and Sindhu had just performed the true sportswoman＊s task of picking up Carolina Marin＊s racket from the court and putting it back in her corner.

Just then did a really affectionate Gopi, not the man who was all animated and gung-ho till a moment earlier, walk up to his protege. A warm embrace and an arm round her shoulder, Gopi walked Sindhu across to one corner of the stadium away from the glare of the television cameras.

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While the entire stadium was celebrating the two star athletes, Gopi was very much doing his job. ※I just told her you have had an extraordinary week. We need to celebrate that. We had never thought it would unfold like this and it is time she enjoyed every bit of it.§

We would never know how much of it registered at the time but the gesture of a true mentor, nicely summed things up. Here was a man who had given it his all for years to try and nurture a champion. He had succeeded.

Act 2 Scene 2 每 As Sindhu was standing proud on the podium with the silver medal shinning across her neck, Gopi was standing behind the TV cameras frantically trying to tell her something. On closer look it was apparent, he was trying to tell her to kiss the medal and then managed to pass on the tricolour to drape around her shoulder. He was still at it.

Anyone who had seen Gopi in Rio would have understood the man wasn＊t his normal self. He would rarely smile, rarely open up and very rarely speak his mind. Now we know why. ※I would inevitably think back to the 2000 Sydney Games and the way I lost my medal. I wasn＊t able to win it for India. I did not want it to happen to Sindhu§, says Gopi.

For a former All England champion and one of the best the country has ever produced, it takes much to sustain an inhuman routine for years. Getting to the academy at 4.30am every morning and doing it for days and months giving up on daily comforts and family life, Gopi has pushed the mantle of mentor to its very highest.

The two others who do an encore are Kuldeep and Vishweshwar Nandy. The soft spoken Nandy was reluctant to speak to the media and was forever concerned with one simple thing 每 performance. ※She needs to perform first. What is the point of me talking to you all before we give you something to be proud of§, Nandy would say.

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For having encouraged a youngster to take up a sport with little tradition speaks of a very different kind of vision and it is only just that he has been chosen for the Dronacharya. Even after coming back from Rio, Nandy＊s focus was unwavering.

※We need to send her away for a week to her relatives. Then gradually get back to training. It is important she fully recovers before we start off again. The mission has just started for her.§

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While Nandy would want Dipa to create history in 2020 with a medal, Kuldeep witnessed Sakshi writing her own chapter.

Anyone who has watched the fight or does so again will see Kuldeep do all kinds of things from the sidelines. He was himself fighting and trying to get Tynybekova on the mat every micro second of the fight. Shouting instructions to Sakshi and motivating her to not give up, Kuldeep should be proud of what he has achieved.

While celebrating Sakshi＊s success he was every bit concerned about Vinesh Phogat and focussed on Babita Kumari who was fighting the next day. Women＊s wrestling has come of age post Rio 2016 with Sakshi＊s medal. Wait for Tokyo.

These men have proved that good men not always come second. And in doing that, they have successfully reversed the saying 每 ※behind every successful woman there is a man§. At least so in India.