{"id":32789,"date":"2020-06-26T14:42:42","date_gmt":"2020-06-26T14:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kodagufirst.in\/?p=32789"},"modified":"2020-06-26T15:06:15","modified_gmt":"2020-06-26T15:06:15","slug":"jwala-gutta-and-ashwini-ponnappa-recall-the-time-they-made-badminton-doubles-history-for-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.kodagufirst.in\/?p=32789","title":{"rendered":"Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa recall the time they made badminton doubles history for India"},"content":{"rendered":"

Confidence steered Jwala and Ashwini, and in turn India, towards their first-ever doubles World Championship medal for badminton in 2011 at Wembley and kicked off a decade in which singles stars PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal would follow the trailblazing duo onto the Worlds podiums every single Championship year.<\/p>\n

\"Jwala<\/a>
Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won their first-ever doubles World Championship medal for badminton in 2011 at Wembley (Source: PTI)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Everyone knows Jwala Gutta loves to fire the opening salvo. It comes entirely from her playing credo: \u201cYou can\u2019t be a good doubles player if you can\u2019t serve well.\u201d The first shot sets the tone.<\/p>\n

After she split with Shruthi Kurien at the start of 2009, Jwala was scouting around for potential partners to play with. Her mixed doubles career with V Diju was going swimmingly well as they\u2019d beaten the Korean World No. 1s that year and entered the Top 10.<\/p>\n

But before she zeroed in on Ashwini Ponnappa, she sprung a thunderbolt on her mother by almost sending the daughter-mother entry for the Nationals that year. Her mother ticked the only box that Jwala sniffed around for, when deciding partners: \u201cI didn\u2019t really have to think a lot. Mom\u2019s serve was very good.\u201d Jwala knew she could mop up the rest.<\/p>\n

This confidence steered Jwala and Ashwini, and in turn India, towards their first-ever doubles World Championship medal for badminton in 2011 at Wembley in London, and kicked off a decade in which singles stars PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal would follow the trailblazing duo onto the Worlds podiums every single Championship year. Jwala-Ashwini\u2019s was the first medal since Prakash Padukone won in the 1980s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I decided to play with Ashwini, she wasn\u2019t even a Top 4 in India. I just saw in her that no fear of losing, and knew I could mentor her,\u201d Jwala says.<\/p>\n

\"Ashwini<\/a>
Ashwini wasn\u2019t pickled in the ways of doubles, where plenty of mental disintegration gets induced. (Source: Express Photo by Ravi Kanojia)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Doubles was Jwala\u2019s battlefield where she needed only an ally. \u201cI really could combine well with anyone \u2013 Diju of course, Chetan, Vidyadhar, Gopi also, Shruthi,\u201d she explains. \u201cOnly this \u2013 the partner should be able to serve properly.\u201d<\/p>\n

So when a friend and batchmate pointed out the whiplashing Ashwini to her at the nationals, Jwala wasn\u2019t distracted by what was Ashwini\u2019s very-noticeable big booming smash. \u201cMy friend told me \u2013 she smashes really hard. I immediately asked, but how\u2019s her serve. I don\u2019t care about the smash as long as it\u2019s hit at the right time and right place. I\u2019m not bothered by how hard she hits. I watched her at the start of the rally \u2013 her serve was fine. She was still young.\u201d The pair was good to go.<\/p>\n

More than callow, Ashwini \u2013 a fearless, formidable, free-spirited hitter \u2013 wasn\u2019t pickled in the ways of doubles, where plenty of mental disintegration gets induced.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the start of the rally, that\u2019s where you put pressure on the opponents. Top pairs understand the importance of a good serve that opponents struggle to return. I always got my points when I served well,\u201d Jwala says.<\/p>\n

Those incisive all-noticing eyes analysed the scene before her like a computer processor when Jwala served.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was observant even as a junior. Where is the receiver\u2019s foot facing? How\u2019s he holding the racquet? Which weakness must I attack\u2026.\u201d there were a dozen cues that Jwala would factor in when she set out to serve.<\/p>\n

Ashwini reckons they combined seamlessly and beyond the obvious advantage of being a left-right combo.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe had a great serve. And I focused on what I had to do,\u201d Ashwini says. A part of the reassurance that Ashwini brought to the court for Jwala came from Ashwini\u2019s unalloyed conviction in her own smash. Polite and always soft-spoken, Ashwini though takes blazing pride in her smashing where the hissing thwack could well be pronounced as \u201cbut of course\u201d.<\/p>\n

The bite to the smash comes from Ashwini\u2019s total rejection of breaking it down. The Ashwini smash is just one Macbethian uninterrupted striking down of the axe in one fell swoop.<\/p>\n

At the start of this decade, the young and agile Ashwini could rain down 15-20 smashes one after another. She didn\u2019t just eschew nuance in that shot \u2013 she chewed and spat out violently any notions of prettying up her whippy welt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just know one smash \u2013 that\u2019s my smash,\u201d she says with rare curtness, if one asks her to dissect her favourite flogging action with a badminton racquet. \u201cThere\u2019s very little touches there,\u201d she says shredding all pretensions to artistry. \u201cIt\u2019s like a hockey whack,\u201d the proud Coorgi raises the violence meter, \u201cit\u2019s a lot about power and just doing it. No thinking. When I\u2019m smashing well, I\u2019m just flying on court.\u201d It\u2019s never not good \u2013 the Ashwini smash.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not apprehensive about what\u2019ll happen after I smash. I\u2019m not scared of losing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Out of this fiery pair of prides \u2013 Jwala: unquestionable of her serve and Ashwini: unrepentant of her smash \u2013 was forged India\u2019s first and hitherto only doubles medal in the World Championship.<\/p>\n

But first came the dazzling of Delhi.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\"Jwala<\/a>
Jwala Gutta and Ashwini paired for the first time together in 2009. (Source: PTI)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When they got together in 2009, India was racing towards hosting of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, an event that singlehandedly provided the impetus to unearth and groom a bunch of medallists across sports.<\/p>\n

The budgeting had changed immediately after the 2006 bronze at the Melbourne CWG, four years after India lost the team bronze in Manchester. \u201cMelbourne was our first mixed team medal. It put us in the \u2018A\u2019 list of priority sports. Exposure trips increased from 2008-9 to prepare for the CWG. Dedicated doubles training started and I was on the court nearly 8-9 hours a day morning and evening,\u201d Jwala recalls.<\/p>\n

In came the Indonesian Master Shifu, Indonesian Atik Jauhari, who smiled compulsively and cracked the whip in training with even more gnashing teeth. \u201cHe brought in positivity and believed in me,\u201d Jwala says.<\/p>\n

Her frequent disagreements with coach Pullela Gopichand over how much to train and how much to compete (an intractable problem that persists with players to this day), had unsettled her from the task at hand though she and Diju emerged as the cleverest pairing on the circuit in 2009 when they made the year-end Super Series Finals. \u201cWe\u2019d won Chinese Taipei and Bitburger. But the whole perception changed after CWG for badminton and I was happy to be part of it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Though it started with a bout of sneezing and allergy as Delhi\u2019s dust and heat got to her that October, and she was bed-ridden. But the Commonwealth Games had been a jet booster to many Indian athletes, who revelled in being prioritised and taken care of for the first time ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the first time, I\u2019d play in front of my family because they couldn\u2019t afford to travel. I really enjoyed playing on home turf in front of my parents,\u201d Jwala remembers. The belief translated into India\u2019s 33rd gold that helped the hosts level with England on the medal tally.<\/p>\n

Jwala had played on all 12 days without a break in front of a packed Siri Fort. \u201cYou could hardly hear the shuttle, I told Ashwini \u2018let\u2019s just focus on the next point\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like her serve, Jwala tends to look ahead only at Round 1 of any tournament. No muddling the head with conjectures of a semi-final. \u201cThat\u2019s a stupid way of looking at tournaments. Always only focus on the next point,\u201d she bosses. Jwala also always fronted the media even when she lost, never disappearing from the backdoor and remained aggressive and animated on and off the court.<\/p>\n

The surge took the Indian pair past the Malaysian top team and then she combined with Diju to secure India\u2019s first win over the top English pairing which had Nathan Robertson, till then unsurmountable.<\/p>\n

She addresses a long-pending allegation over her questionable fitness \u2013 as combatively as ever. \u201cIf I wasn\u2019t fit, I wouldn\u2019t have dominated. Yes, I don\u2019t have the athletic body type, but you don\u2019t have to look muscular to be able to hit,\u201d roars the southpaw. \u201cPeople said I was a slow mover. But i was really tall. I didn\u2019t need to scramble!\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Accustomed to questions being thrown at her because both Diju and a yet inexperienced Ashwini remained soft-spoken, Jwala gleefully stabbed at questions while speaking her mind unfettered.<\/p>\n

The gentleness and bottomless patience she reserved for the only one who she believed deserved it: her younger partner Ashwini.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot just on court, I decided to take her along through the whole media-training-competing routine. I never referred to any situation as \u2018you\u2019 or \u2018me\u2019. It was ;us\u2019\u201d always. I\u2019d patiently correct her strokes by telling her not to take stress and be fearless always,\u201d Jwala remembers.<\/p>\n

Ashwini was soaking it all up like a sponge. \u201cThe programme was structured with coach Atik and specialised coaching. And the 2010 win was a miracle booster. It was our biggest win as a pair,\u201d Ashwini says.<\/p>\n

\"Jwala<\/a>
Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa at a felicitation program of Badminton 45 Silver Jubilee at Bombay Gymkhana (Express photo by Prashant Nadkar)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was the beginning of Ashwini learning a very important drill from Jwala, something that suited her own unhassled temperament. \u201cI remember starting this at the Sudirman Cup where I could really switch on and switch off. We\u2019d do well in a match and relax,\u201d she recalls of the thriller against the Thais that the Indians won 21-19 in the third. Indian doubles was taking its infant steps and Ashwini remembers learning something as basic as where to stand on court and what worked and what didn\u2019t. In the lead-up to the Korean Open that year, Jwala-Ashwini had eked out a 22-20 in the decider against Hong Kong and another confidence-enhancing three-game win against the Japanese.<\/p>\n

London was only the pair\u2019s second World Championship together and they\u2019d strung up some good results at the French Open in the run-up. Her trainer Declan had travelled that year and Ashwini recalls a rare time when playing well coincided with having fun. \u201cSometimes you don\u2019t enjoy the journey and the wins and losses don\u2019t matter. But I remember being able to switch off the pressure and just having a lot of fun playing that one. I loved being in the stadium,\u201d she says of a happier time.<\/p>\n

Declan not only put her mind at ease about recovery but also pointed out something that the painfully shy woman shrugged off like a jumper.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeclan told me I should not look down on the floor and always walk with chin up and head high. I remember doing it all consciously and how it helped my confidence and I walked tall,\u201d Ashwini remembers.<\/p>\n

The fidgety nervousness that comes with being impatient on court and in finishing points (botching them) was left behind at home, as Ashwini distinctly recalls walking slowly and calmly on court and not scurrying about cluelessly.<\/p>\n

The Indians started against the Americans where Wembley\u2019s unique atmosphere had to be internalised. \u201cIt\u2019s a different atmosphere at Wembley because the crowd there is always blackened out so the spotlight is on the shuttle. Courts tend to appear brighter and you have to adjust to the visibility,\u201d Jwala recalls. Indians would win 9, 18 against the Americans.<\/p>\n

Unseeded and running into World No. 2 was familiar as was being pipped in the opener 21-19 \u2013 the result against Room Lok Yan and Tse Ying Suet, wasn\u2019t. \u201cWe were prepared because their serves weren\u2019t as good though they were good at defence,\u201d Jwala sensed her opportunity to pounce. \u201cEven after losing the first game, I was confident.\u201d They won 19-21, 21-10, 21-17.<\/p>\n

\"Jwala-Ashwini\u2019s<\/a>
Jwala-Ashwini\u2019s was the first medal since Prakash Padukone won in the 1980s. (Express Photo by Vasant Prabhu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Up next were the Indonesians who seemed to have taken the Indians lightly and combined that with their own iffy confidence levels. Jwala is quick to acknowledge that Vita Marissa is a bit of a mixed doubles legend, but on the brink of her retirement and a reputation to guard, the Indonesian was under pressure.<\/p>\n

It wouldn\u2019t have helped her that Jwala had x-rayed her defence down: \u201cOn the brink of retirement, Vita wasn\u2019t a great mover. She could smash hard but couldn\u2019t hit as many times. Tiring her out was the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feeding her drops bringing her to the net, the weakening limbs and the under-confidence saw Jwala preying on her tiredness. And while Ashwini peppered her from the back with smashes, Jwala would use the big boomer to soften her for a further bag of deceptions: her wicked serve.<\/p>\n

The garden variety backhand serves in doubles don\u2019t offer much variety for the Serve Queen. \u201cVita not being confident enough to return my serve made me even more adventurous.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven the low serves have variety. There are 5-6 variations even to that width so you keep opponents guessing,\u201d Jwala says with glee of a web she weaves at the outset that eclipses the rest of the rally. Her antennae were buzzing even as Ashwini had to stay in front because the shuttle was coming back very fast.<\/p>\n

Typically, Jwala takes 2-3 rallies to get a complete read on her opponent: \u201cI focus on movements. I just remember how I lost my last point. If I win a point, I try to win on the same strategy. But you can\u2019t think too much or brood over a lost point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Receiver\u2019s styles got 3D imprinted on her mind, and her superior anticipation that afforded just 2-3 chances even when she played singles, helped her give clear succinct serving instructions to Ashwini. The Indian duo chipped away at the 17-21 first set reversal for a 17-21, 21-10, 21-17 win.<\/p>\n

She remembers feeling a shiver of excitement on the podium thinking of her parents. \u201cI showed emotion that day though after reaching semis, where we were assured of the medal, we did nothing unusual. Same things \u2013 though we might have eaten at a Chinese restaurant.\u201d After the semis against the Chinese including the legend Zhao Yunlei was lost \u2013 14, 16, it struck her that something historic had been achieved by the really unheralded pairing.<\/p>\n

Ashwini remembers a happy time. \u201cWe dealt with pressure well against the Indonesians and knew we had created history because only Prakash Sir had a Worlds medal before us from India. Always being compared to singles used to be maddening,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n

She doesn\u2019t remember any rancour associated with the Worlds medal. \u201cWe were in a good space. We had good meals, we laughed a lot,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"Reactions<\/a>
Reactions to Jwala-Ashwini\u2019s World medal were underwhelming. (Express Photo by Vasant Prabhu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reactions in India were underwhelming \u2013 the duo reckon out of ignorance. \u201cThere was no reception and now I think that was strange. Later, the way Sindhu was received was wow. Ours was no big deal for anyone. There were no questions about why doubles wasn\u2019t doing well, so no celebration of when we did well either,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Ashwini says the bronze ought to be put into perspective. \u201cMaybe, doubles was not as decorated as singles. But ours was historic, right? The first one for women. Kids can look up to us. If you\u2019re comparing, we had little support, no endorsements. But not being received when we came back hurt a little.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doubles itself changed a lot \u2013 faster and tougher to get points. \u201cWe worked hard, nobody can fault us on effort. We were smart on court. We played quite often to prove ourselves in what weren\u2019t the easiest of times,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

It was when her support system \u2013 parents, brother, then boyfriend-now husband huddled around her. \u201cGetting into the zone was tough playing doubles back then. We would get bogged down with one loss. And people would be questioning us. I\u2019m grateful my family understood what I was going through,\u201d she says. One of the reasons the medal sits in her parents\u2019 home.<\/p>\n

Finding an oasis of good form, a good vibe and success amidst the storm became doubly challenging when London itself threw up one giant tantrum. \u201cThere were riots raging in London that time. It used to be an adventure just going to the stadium. They started after we landed. We would go under shuttered restaurants for our meals. We even got out once through the backdoor. Having never been in such a situation, it was erm\u2026 different,\u201d Ashwini says. Young and adventurous, they even afforded themselves a tingling of excitement finding beauty in breakdown.<\/p>\n

Jwala remembers an incident opposite Wembley. \u201cWe witnessed some rioting from across the street. It was quite disturbing. But you know what happens right in such situations \u2013 after every match, we would just forget about the match, look for food, enjoy every morsel and be grateful for the basics. So effectively, we didn\u2019t let a win settle into our system. We hardly discussed the match. It was about playing \u2013 going to a nice place to eat \u2013 walking a lot and only ensuring we were safe.\u201d In other words, living in the moment \u2013 with all its warts and all.<\/p>\n

A year on, London would give Jwala-Ashwini another heartbreak at the Olympics. \u201cIt was unfair and disappointing that some teams tried to fix the draws and jeopardised our chances. We had gone there well prepared. But that Japan \/ India \/ Chinese Taipei situation \u2013 it was just sad.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a scab best reserved for dark moments. But London for Ashwini will always be about India\u2019s least-known World Championship medal and finding her heroic moment of glory and pride amidst chaos of the famous city up in flames. They can almost remember it all in slow motion, such was the drama of the bronze that came out of fire.<\/p>\n

source: http:\/\/www.indianexpress.com \/ The Indian Express \/ Home> Sports> Badminton \/ by Shivani Naik \/ June 25th, 2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Confidence steered Jwala and Ashwini, and in turn India, towards their first-ever doubles World Championship medal for badminton in 2011 at Wembley and kicked off a decade in which singles stars PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal would follow the trailblazing duo onto the Worlds podiums every single Championship year. Everyone knows Jwala Gutta loves to … Continue reading Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa recall the time they made badminton doubles history for India<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,10,14,16,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-famous-personalities-of-kodagu-coorg","category-inspiration-positive-news-and-features","category-records-all","category-sports","category-world-opinion"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.kodagufirst.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.kodagufirst.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.kodagufirst.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.kodagufirst.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.kodagufirst.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32789"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.kodagufirst.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32789\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32813,"href":"http:\/\/www.kodagufirst.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32789\/revisions\/32813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.kodagufirst.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.kodagufirst.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.kodagufirst.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}