Sunalini Menon started out as an assistant cup taster for the Coffee Board of India in 1971
The journey of Asia’s first female coffee expert, Sunalini Menon, is one of beating the odds while consuming copious amounts of coffee, says Phorum Dalal
“But she is a woman, and will be married off soon,” a panel argued.
The year was 1971, and the dilemma was whether to give the candidate a job of an assistant cup taster on the Coffee Board of India.
She had topped the written examination and oral tests, competing with PhDs and coffee experts, but the hesitation was due to her gender.
The person in question was Sunalini Menon, who spent the next 25 years, sipping, slurping and spitting coffee, identifying flavour notes, and determining the quality of the drink for coffee growers in India.
“The slurping is to expose the sip to oxygen and open its flavours, and spitting is to avoid consuming so much coffee,” the tiny figured lady explains with a broad smile when we meet her in Coorg.
Her melodious voice has us in rapt attention, as she excitedly spoke of Block no. 19, Tata Coffee’s micro lot from the Nullore estate, selected last year by Starbucks for sale under the Reserve Brand in USA.
Menon, who consults several traditional coffee growers, has carved a niche for herself. She closely worked on the micro lot (cream of the crop with artisanal properties, usually sold in small quantities for a higher price) that put Indian coffee on the global map.
The seed was sown in childhood. “In the summers, we would go to Polachi in Coimbatore and visit the tea plantation my uncle was posted at. Labourers picked tea and put it through steaming, drying and rolling processes. During tastings, the tea master would use a penny to weigh the tea. Tasters would slurp, sip and spit out the liquid,” says Menon.
Imitating them, the kids would take the leftover tea “gargle and make horrendous noises,” laughs Menon.
After a degree in dietetics, while applying for scholarships in New York Institute of Dietetics, Menon saw Coffee Board of India’s job ad for an assistant cup taster, and “memories of sipping, slurping and spitting came flooding back.” As no woman had ever held the post, she was sure she wouldn’t make it, but soon she completed the board’s two-member team.
The board sent her to Witnerthone near Zurich for a year-long intensive course in coffee tasting in 1976, followed by a six-month review training in 1982.
“My hosts exposed me to a lot of international coffees from Peru and Costa Rica, and also sent me to Germany. This was an eye opener, and palate too, because at the time, India didn’t have such exotic coffees. I learnt to identify characters and use my palate to decipher coffee”. When she returned, her boss had retired and she took over to become India’s first cup taster.
Friends and family would tease her, “Your job is to take coffee breaks. What fun’.
The sensorial method, though, involved a lot: focusing on fragrance, aroma, flavour, aftertaste, acidity, mouthful, sweetness, balance, uniformity, overall taste and cleanliness of the cup to determine the coffee’s quality.
“One that secures 80 or above is considered a speciality coffee,” explains Menon, adding that the science and chemistry behind the cup can also be evaluated individually to provide accurate results. “But so far, a holistic scientific value hasn’t been arrived at to conclude on the cup rating. Till it does, I guess we tasters will have a job,” says Menon.
After the market liberalised in 1996 and growers could sell their own coffee, the board shifted focus to research and training. Menon moved to Japan, where her husband was posted, but coffee growers coaxed her to return and continue independent quality checks and research on their plantation.
“Coffee has come a long way in India, primarily a tea growing country. The British introduced the coffee plant from Ethiopia. A drink for the elderly and usually consumed at home, it didn’t have a special aura. But the vision of grandmothers using the dabba filter to brew their cup has become a fad after Café Coffee Day (CCD) launched in Bengaluru in 1996,” recalls Menon.
That’s why, Block No 19 is special. Indian coffee being selected for a limited edition sale by an international company will encourage more plantations to work on micro lots. This milestone has opened a door to make artisanal Indian coffee a stand out,” says the woman who has paved way for women tasters in India. As for her poison, it’s “a blend of robusta and Arabica beans. Black please,” she signs off.
source: http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA India / Home> Lifestyle / DNA Sunday Team / Sunday – March 05th, 2017
The scholarship is open only to meritorious students from South India.Susmita Gunda
Susmita Gunda, an engineering student from Andhra Pradesh has been selected for this year Pemanda Monappa Commonwealth Scholarship. A meritorious student from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, she completed her B.Tech in Electronics and Communication there.
Susmita has secured admission at Cambridge University. “Am happy that I have been selected for this scholarship. I came to know of this scholarship in the Cambridge University website. It is a prestigious one and the aid I receive will cover 60 per cent of my educational expenses,” Ms. Gunda says. She will pursue her MPhil in Industrial Systems, manufacturing and management Department of Engineering at the Newnham College, Cambridge University. “It is a project intensive course and I will be working in four live projects as part of my course,” she says.
This scholarship is open only for South Indian students with outstanding academic achievements and, who have secured admission for post graduation study at the Cambridge Univeristy.
For details, contact phone: 044 – 28253241. Weblink: www.cambridge trusts.org and search for Pemanda Monappa Scholarship.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Education Plus / by Chitradeepa A / September 12th, 2012
Participants taste coffee during the 15th edition of African Fine Coffee Conference and Exhibition in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, Feb. 15, 2017 (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)
Addis Ababa, (Xinhua) :
Attracting regional and international coffee roasters, traders, producers, professionals and connoisseurs, the 15th edition of African Fine Coffee Conference and Exhibition kicked off in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa on Wednesday.
With the objective of reshaping African coffee industry, the three-day event from Feb. 15 to 17 is expected to have intensive discussions on policy and trade development across the African coffee value chain.
The African Fine Coffee Association (AFCA) and the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Development and Marketing Authority, have co-hosted the event under the theme, “Reshaping African Coffee Industry for Productivity and Investment.”
The participants are also expected to discuss ways of boosting coffee production on the African continent, and the exhibitors from across the world showcase their coffee products, machinery and packaging facilities, among others.
The conference is a buyer-oriented event which brings together buyers from all over the world to build key trading relationships and discuss issues impacting on production, trading environment and policy interventions necessary to grow the coffee industry worldwide, according to the organizers.
The event is also expected to provide an opportunity for business-to-business engagements and for buyers to taste best coffee from Ethiopia and the rest of Africa.
Officially opening the event, Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome reiterated that his government attaches great importance to the coffee industry as it is backbone of the country’s commodities export.
“Around 20 million people are directly or indirectly deriving their livelihoods from coffee. Hence, as major agricultural export product, it generates about 26 percent of Ethiopia’s total export earnings. Ethiopia is the largest producer of coffee in Africa and the fifth largest coffee producer in the world, next to Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, and Indonesia, contributing from 7 to 10 percent of total world coffee production,” noted the president.
It has been recognized that new markets have been identified in order to benefit coffee farmers and also to encourage all stakeholders in coffee industry, according to the president.
“In this regard, China, Russia, Middle East, and the Far East economies, Australia, and consuming African countries of Algeria, Tunisia, and Sudan among others offer a lucrative option and price incentives to the Ethiopian coffee,” he said.
Bagersh Abdullah, Board Chairman of African Fine Coffee Association (AFCA), stated that African Fine Coffee Conference and Exhibition has become one of the top events in the world.
“This conference has a lot of value because we are at the beginning of the coffee season and I am hoping that by being here the delegates the buyers, many, many buyers are here will have the chance to see, believe and taste the coffees and we are going to ship first class coffee out of Ethiopia this year,” he said.
Eyasu Abraha, Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said on his part that the government has been taking various measures to tap Ethiopia’s huge potential in the sector and boost coffee productivity in the country.
“Ethiopia has a huge potential to increase coffee due to processing, suitable climate, soil, indigenous planting material, and sufficient rainfalls in coffee growing belts of the country. To this end, government is committed to more than ever before to tap the huge potential that exists to increase coffee productivity through undertaking research and development interventions.”
African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA) is an association with coffee sectors in 11 member countries, namely Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Over 100 exhibitors participate in the exhibition showcasing their coffee products, machinery, and packaging among others, according to the organizers.
The vision of World Tea Coffee Expo Mumbai India is to expand the Indian Beverage business by providing all sourcing requirements under one roof
Growing in size and stature every year, the 5th edition of World Tea Coffee Expo comes back to Mumbai from 16th Nov – 18th Nov 2017 with a host of enhanced features and activities covering the entire gamut of the Hot Beverage sector.
Globally recognized at a complete trade show for Tea, Coffee and allied sectors, the three day annual event shall witness about 90+ exhibitors from 8 countries showcasing latest innovative products, machineries, equipment, packaging, technologies, vending solutions, flavours, Retail Chains, certifications, Premixes, government boards etc.
The 5th edition shall have additional features like an upscale Display showcase, wider range of networking events, a special section for e-commerce companies, more educational content and speakers at Conference and interactive workshops – including tasting sessions – by some of the best Baristas/Trainers, Tea Sommeliers and Chefs. 5th World Tea Coffee Expo Mumbai India is supported by Sri Lanka Tea Board and leading associations and chambers from across the world have pledged their support to this important industry initiative.
Since its launch in 2013, the expo has brought global industry players closer, enabled mega deals in addition to being the definite launch pad for new products and technologies especially for start-ups and SMEs who aspire for national / international expansion but have low budgets.
The 2016 edition hosted 67 companies – including Pavilions from Tea Board of India and Sri Lanka Tea Board – which showcased their best to a business visitor base of 3400+ which included senior level decision makers comprising of Retailers, Wholesalers, Distributors, hypermarkets/multi-product retail chains, Tea/Coffee Estate owners, potential franchisees, purchase managers of medium-to-large offices, HoReCa sector professionals many of whom placed large orders with exhibitors. The 2-day hi level conference discussed issues facing the sector and workshops on last day imparted technical skills. Experts from across India were a part of the conference and workshops.
“This niche Expo provides the perfect environment for the hot beverage industry to meet face-to-face and develop real business opportunities. WTCE facilitates participants to strike bulk deals, joint ventures/alliances, franchise deals, appoint marketing agents, knowledge-sharing, meeting government officials and generate large number of business leads.” said Ms Priti Kapadia, Director, Sentinel Exhibitions Asia Pvt. Ltd, the organizers of this unique trade show.
The global market for RTD (Ready-to-Drink) Tea and Coffee is expected to reach $150 billion by 2021 with an annual growth rate of 7%. The Asia-Pacific region is the largest market and also showing maximum growth. The Indian tea and coffee market is one of the largest in world in terms of production, consumption and growth prospects. However, future success depends largely on use of latest technology, seamless upgradation of existing facilities, adapting to ecommerce and cost effective processing – something WTCE strives for. For further information please log onto www.worldteacoffeeexpo.com or call on +912228625131 or email to info@worldteacoffeeexpo.com
source: SentinelPR priti@publicrelationindia.com / Press Release / February 21st, 2017
Team Coorg celebrate with their trophy after defeating UTSC in the final of the Starcare Cup Gulf Hockey Fiesta on Saturday. Photo – Supplied
Muscat:
Team Coorg defeated United Thalassery Sports Club (UTSC) to retain the title at the Starcare Cup Gulf Hockey Fiesta at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Saturday.
In an exciting final, Team Coorg defeated UTSC by a 2-0 margin.
The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) sanctioned event was organised with the support from Oman Hockey Association (OHA).
Earlier in the semifinals, Team Coorg defeated KSA Dammam 3-2 while UTSC defeated One Thousand Hockey Legs (OTHL) team from India 3-0.
The young boys of OTHL, run by noted hockey journalist K.Arumugam, were the star attraction of the tournament.
Talib Al Wahaibi, Chairman of Oman Hockey Association, and Dr. Mohammed Naseem, CEO of Starcare Hospitals, presented the prizes.
Speaking on the occasion, OHA chief Talib Al Wahaibi said: “I congratulate UTSC for this wonderful event and all teams had performed really well. On behalf of OHA, I extend my greetings and support to all of you.”
Veteran hockey personality S.A.S. Naqvi also graced the occasion.
The teams which took part in the event are Oman Veterans, Saham Sports Club junior team, Ahli-Sidab junior team, KSA Dammam, Al Naqi Strikers, Muscat Foxes, Pak Falcons, Team Coorg, OTHL, Young Stars Bahrain and UTSC.
“We are so pleased to support the Gulf Hockey Cup conducted by UTSC. It was a great event and it looked like a festival here rather than a hockey tournament,” Dr. Mohammed Naseem of Starcare Hospitals, said.
Pradhan Somanna of Team Coorg was adjudged the player of the tournament. The other individual awards went to OTHL’s Deepasau (best goalkeeper), Team Coorg’s Nani (top scorer), KSA Dammam’s Ismak (best defender) and Saham Club’s Ilyas (most prmosing youngster). Saham Club Juniors won the fairplay award.
While Starcare Hospitals were the main sponsor for the event, the other sponsors were Malabar Gold, Home Mart International, Modern Exchange, United Projects, Al Rahwan, Badar Shipping, Air India, Al Sarooj, Al Omaniya
Finance, FRiENDi Mobile, Al Nahla Solutions, FAP, Air Arabia, Lynz, Pocari Sweat, Oasis Water, Al Ain Water, Haffa House Hotel and Fairtrade.
source: http://www.timesofoman.com / Times of Oman / Home> Sports> Hockey / by Times News Service / February 19th, 2017
India’s doubles tennis player Rohan Bopanna couldn’t have asked for a better way to start his day in Amsterdam yesterday.
Far away from home, the Bangalorean enjoyed some authentic South Indian breakfast in the Dutch capital, where he participated in the Rotterdam Open.
The south Indian posted the above picture on his Instagram account yesterday with the caption: “Best kinda breakfast just before flying out to Marseille (France).
Thanks to our friend Kris and all the wonderful chefs for opening the restaurant early just for us to have some great south Indian breakfast at Saravanaa Bhavan here in Amsterdam. @jntennis #saravanaabhavan #Amsterdam #lifeontheroad #idly #filtercoffee.”
source: http://www.mid-day.com / mid-day.com / Home> Sports News> Tennis News / by A Correspondent / February 18th, 2017
The International Coffee Organization flagged the potential for “pressure on” coffee prices from supplies, even amid a fierce debate in Brazil, the top producer and shipper, over the extent of bean inventories.
The ICO, while noting that month-average coffee prices as measured by its benchmark index had “significantly improved” last month, recovering more than half the 9.7% lost in December, they remained well below November highs reached on concerns over dryness in Brazil and Vietnam.
“In view of the steady level of exports, and news of more favourable weather conditions in Brazil, the positive [price] trend reversed towards the end of January,” the organisation said.
World coffee exports for the October-to-December period, the first three months of 2016-17, totalled 29.8m bags, a rise of 8.3% year on year, led by a 23% surge in shipments of the “other milds” beans shipped from the likes of Honduras and Peru, but with increases in the other major segments too.
Shipments of robusta beans rose 7.9% to 10.5m bags, defying worries over poor weather feared to have hit production in major growing countries, concerns which helped London robusta futures hit a five-year high of $2,282 a tonne on January 19.
‘Pressure on price levels’
The export data – combined with ideas of stockpiling in importing countries such as the US, where December inventories, at 6.26m bags, were the largest for the month in 23 years – boded ill for prices, the ICO said.
“Large export volumes and high levels of stocks in consuming countries seem likely to put pressure on price levels,” the organization said.
The comments chime with those of some other commentators, such as Judith Ganes-Chase, who raised questions to the market premise “that supplies would run low following a multitude of production issues the past three seasons”.
Noting continued strength in coffee exports, Ms Ganes-Chase said that “the “key indicator of supplies starting to be exhausted has not been flashing.
“In fact, the opposite has happened,” with data showing that shipments for the first three months of 2016-17 “are up sharply from all types of coffee and this is keeping consumer warehouses well stocked”.
Robusta stocks dispute
However, the comments also come amid enhanced uncertainty over supplies in Brazil, which has suffered successive under-par robusta coffee harvests, even as arabica output last year hit a record high.
While robusta stocks were reported by the Conab bureau to have dwindled to some 2.1m bags – prompting Blairo Maggi, Brazilian agriculture minister, last week to flag the likelihood of the country opening up to unprecedented imports of the variety – a decision on buy-ins was postponed on claims of far biggest inventories.
Producers in Espirito Santo, Brazil’s top robusta-growing state, claimed stocks of some 4m bags, saying that the survey by Conab bean-counters had been incomplete, and not included all warehouses.
Arabica tightness too?
Meanwhile, Brazil’s Cooxupe, the world’s largest coffee co-operative, on Thursday undermined ideas of ample arabica stocks, saying that tightness in robusta supplies was prompting many buyers to switch beans.
Supply tightness will reach the arabica market around May, Cooxupe said, just ahead of the next harvest.
“Almost all Brazilian coffee exporters sold a lot of [arabica] beans to local industries lately,” Cooxupe chief trader Lucio Dias said.
“Domestic consumption is reducing the amount of arabica available for exports.”
Brazil data uncertainty
While respected data on Brazil’s coffee exports are readily available, including from exporters’ group Cecafe, statistics on production are viewed by many investors as less thorough, with Conab viewed as tending to underestimate output.
Conab’s initial forecast for 2017-18 foresees an 8-15% decline in domestic output, to 43.65m-47.50m bags.
“However, some independent sources indicate much higher figures for the total production of Brazil,” the ICO said.
Best-traded arabica futures for May stood at 148.00 cents a pound in morning deals in New York, a rise of 0.3% on the day.
In London, robusta futures for March, the best-traded lot, stood down 0.1% at $2,123 a tonne.
source: http://www.agrimoney.com / Agrimoney.com / Home / by Mike Verdin, UK / February 10th, 2017
Ashwini Ponnappa opens up to Sportskeeda about her career, struggles, achievements, doubles getting ignored and much more.
Ashwini Ponnappa. [Image Courtesy: Red Bull]
“India, as a country, is reactive rather than pro-active.
”Having won tournaments ever since joining the international circuit and still not getting enough support, Ashwini Ponnappa hits the nail on the head with this statement.
The Gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in women’s doubles was supported with a mixed team silver while she and Jwala Gutta became the only Indian pair, and second Indians after Prakash Padukone in 1983, to win a medal at the World Championships when they won the bronze at London in 2011. The 2015 Canada Open triumph came on the back of yet another successful CWG campaign in Glasgow and a bronze at the 2014 Asian Games.
Despite all these achievements, it wasn’t until September 2015 – less than a year before the Rio Olympics – that Jwala and Ashwini were included in the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme. And that, too, came after a war of words and multiple requests and demands to the Sports Ministry.
“Not just the TOP scheme, a lot could have been handled way better, to be honest. I think when Jwala and I did well at the World Championships in 2011, things should have changed then,” the 27-year-old claimed. “When we did well in 2010 at the CWG, we should have had support, which would have eventually led to us, probably, doing well at the 2016 Olympics, not in 2012, where we lost out by just 1 point.”
“So when you see a pair having potential, who have done well, are doing well and have the potential to do even better, support them! Did anyone come forward to do that?,” questioned Ashwini. “They didn’t. And that’s why I think the delay in us being involved in the TOP scheme cost us a little bit (at the 2016 Olympics).The support we got was not enough to guarantee a medal.”
Looking at the likes of HS Prannoy, Guru Saidutt part of the list already, it is natural that the country’s most successful doubles pairing would be hurting from being overlooked time and again.
Doubles ignored by the badminton fraternity
This inadvertently prompted the question if doubles badminton gets step brotherly treatment as compared to singles. And like she plays on the court, Ashwini didn’t hold back from this either, bluntly admitting that it is foolhardy to harbour expectations of a medal from the Olympics without significant backing.
“You see the companies that are supporting the junior players – all of them are supporting singles players while nobody supports doubles players. Nobody wants to gamble on a doubles pairing and pick a pair and back them to win a medal, the way they would do for a singles player.”
“If you look at Saina and Sindhu, they have been given consistent support since the age of 13-14 and that’s what has helped them achieve everything at the international level. There’s not one doubles player who is given that backing. But, you expect so much out of us when we are struggling, as it is. You can’t expect miracles at the Olympics as it is simply not going to happen with this backing,” she continued.
Rewinding the clock and remembering the unrealistic expectation the nation had on the pair during the London and Rio Olympics, I had to agree with her. Just when my mind began to wander about how they kept their motivation up, she explained:
“Everything that Jwala and I achieved. Everything that Jwala-Diju achieved, what the other doubles players have achieved – is amazing. I think that’s remarkable. It’s an outstanding effort put by all of us because without having support, to just go there and play because you want to play and work hard for yourself, for your country. Of course, it stings when you don’t get any support, but it hasn’t stopped us from working and fighting and trying to do really well,” she answered as if she could read my mind and anticipate the next question.
“But, to push us to the next level, we need more – a lot more – to make us do that and that isn’t happening. We still believe that despite all that we are going to do well, but how far can belief just take you alone. We need a lot of support. But, hopefully things change. It hasn’t happened in the past, though despite Jwala and I performing well,” the anguish was quite palpable on her face as she talked about the obvious lack of support.
Jwala Gutta’s and Ashwini Ponnappa’s success has come despite the obvious lack of support
By this time it was clear that having already competed with the top nations and coming out on top on quite a few occasions was despite the negligible funds and backing given to doubles badminton in India rather than because of it.
No Indian pair goes into any Superseries, Olympics or Asian Games as one of the favourites. Any achievement by any Indian pair, not just Jwala and Ashwini, is considered as a bonus. From parents not encouraging kids to take up doubles to lack of media coverage, it is not just the lack of funds or support that has resulted in Indian players merely making up the numbers at every tournament and playing second fiddle to the Far East and European countries when it comes to doubles. The problems are deep-rooted and many, which have resulted in India’s current standing in doubles badminton.
“When we look at other countries, I feel, we are definitely capable of beating them. But, at the same time, there’s a massive difference in the kind of facilities they are provided in terms of training and encouragement – which is most important at the grassroots level.“The fans, as awesome as they are, can only feed what’s given to them and that’s where the media plays a huge role. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot mentioned about doubles as opposed to singles. The same performance between a singles player and a doubles player, the singles player would get definitely more. In terms of that, I feel doubles is not given any importance, whatsoever. And that makes parents question whether they want to put their kid into doubles or let them continue there if he/she is put in doubles,” a realistic Ashwini confessed.“As a parent, you are looking out for the well-being of the child. So, you see how much a singles player gets and at the same time you see that a doubles player doesn’t get anything, it makes you question if you should let them continue doubles. I feel in that sense, India’s got a HUGE way to go to ensure the doubles players get the respect, acknowledgement, and encouragement – which is there in the other Asian as well as European countries,” said Ashwini, for whom being pragmatic about the whole ordeal seemed to come naturally. To be honest, if I was a doubles player like her, I would be seething at the system we’ve created.
“There are plenty of problems, but it all starts from the backing you have. You go to a tournament, we send 5-6 singles player, but just 1 doubles pair – that’s it. So, how can we expect India to catch up because there’s a vast difference between that one pair and everyone else?”
Playing singles with Carolina Marin
After listening to the Cinderella-esque challenges that doubles badminton faces in India, I begin to ponder when they would get the Fairy Godmother it so badly requires. After an awkward silence, I look down at my list of questions as I seek to change the mood in the reception of the Karnataka State Badminton Association facility – the venue of the interview.
Suddenly my thoughts began to move towards the Premier Badminton League (PBL) where the ‘interviewee’ played an unexpected, yet delightful singles match against the reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin. Ashwini displayed an array of shots to surprise the Spaniard, and everyone else, and take the first game 11-9. Although she went down 5-11 and 8-11 in the other two games, it was refreshing to see her step away from her comfort zone and give an excellent account of herself.
“Thank you so much,” she uttered mustering a smile when I mentioned that it was my favourite match of the 2017 PBL. “It (playing with Marin) was amazing, to be honest. That’s the best part about PBL – it gives you opportunities. In life you have things thrown at you and you have to grab them. And as I love playing singles despite being better at doubles and not having played that format for a long time, I put my hand up to play against the Olympic gold medallist.”
Ashwini Ponnappa gave the Olympic champion a scare at the PBL
Talking about the match, she explained how well she prepared herself that led to winning the opening game against the then World No. 1. “I wanted to make sure that I play really well. Getting on the court, I just wanted to put up a fight and make sure I didn’t lose 11-0, 11-0. (grins as she recalls her mentality at the time). I just wanted to prepare well and I think it is part of being a professional badminton player that you don’t get into a match, irrespective of whether you’re training for it or not, without being prepared. So, I decided I was going to prepare myself, watch how she plays, and it actually paid off,” she recalled.
The PBL has thrown up such challenges at players time and again while giving them the opportunity to share the dressing room with the who’s who of the badminton world. Although she never had an idol growing up, she had always been a keen observer, trying to pick things from each and every player and that is precisely what she has been doing at the PBL as well. Asked about how the league has helped her and other youngsters, the Bangalore-born shuttler was unequivocal in her praise of the tournament.
“The PBL has helped me a lot, personally and I am sure it has helped the others too. When I played the first edition of the IBL (the IBL was rechristened as the PBL after the first edition), I partnered Victor Fischer who had won bronze in the Olympics and the World Championships. So I learnt A LOT! Being somebody who isn’t primarily a net player, and playing with someone like Fischer helped me immensely and I partnered him in the second season too,” she fondly recalled.
“Like I have learned a lot, I am sure the other Indians would have also learned by just watching them play, get ready, their preparations. These top players are very forthcoming with their opinions. They are happy to share and give you advice as well.”
Partnering with Sikki Reddy
In the 2017 edition of the PBL, Ashwini Ponnappa partnered Sikki Reddy for the Bengaluru Blasters and had the former World No. 2 Korean pairing of Ko Sung-Hyun and Yoo Yeon-Seong to learn from – something she believes helped her massively as it was one of the biggest learning curves in her illustrious career.
“In the last PBL, when Sikki and I partnered, the Koreans in our team were like coaches to us and it was amazing how well we got to interact with them. They would guide us how to move and also give us drills. I learned a lot, and I am sure Sikki did as well as they would point out the nitty-gritties tell us what we were doing right and wrong, that nobody generally tells you. But, the fact that they did, was really helpful as we’re constantly learning,” uttered Bengaluru Blasters’ star doubles player.
Post the PBL, the unseeded pair of Ashwini and Sikki got another feather in their cap by reaching the final of the Syed Modi International. Despite leading in both games at one point, they ended up on the losing side against the Danes, something which Ashwini believes would not happen if they were to get more consistent.“I feel, we still have to get more consistent. At the Syed Modi International, I feel we improved on the consistency bit. But, as a pair, we haven’t had that many matches, so I think it would still take time,” confessed the 27-year-old. “I am quite disappointed that we lost, irrespective of it being just our fourth tournament, because as a player you go to every tournament to win. And, I truly believed we could have won and pull it off. But, we do tend to lose a couple of points in cases when we’re leading. So, we’ll have to work on that and maintain a consistent lead.
”Unlike with Jwala where Ashwini did most of the running, we have seen Sikki and her share the running and be a more fluid unit, exchanging positions effortlessly. Their debut tournament was a second round exit before a final in Wales, a semi-final appearance at Ireland and reaching the final at the Syed Modi Int’l. Asked if the team dynamic was the reason behind the upward curve ever since they teamed up, Ashwini said that could be one of the reasons along with the fact that the two of them are “go-getters” while playing down all their achievements so far.
She explained, “We’ve started with tournaments that we thought we could handle well as a pair. But, as you go on to the bigger tournaments like the Superseries, it’s not going to be so easy. It’s good to start on a positive note and that’s why we started off in the smaller tournaments and the results in the first 3 tournaments gave us confidence. And now reaching the final at the Syed Modi, which is a big tournament, is a big deal for us. So, that motivates us a lot.”
With the All England Championships up in March the next major challenge for the pair, Ashwini said that the duo would be ready for their first Superseries despite the stiff challenge posed by the presence of the Chinese and the Koreans.
The difference between Sikki and Jwala
A hyperactive child growing up and one who loved running out and playing till the sun went down, Ashwini didn’t envisage herself as a professional badminton player when she was ‘forced to pick up the sport’ as her parents thought it was a good way to keep her busy. However, once she got into the junior category, it was then that the bustling little girl began taking badminton seriously.
After spending a few years in the junior category, she was thrown into the deep end when she, just 20 years old was asked to partner a then 26-year-old Jwala Gutta. Their partnership lasted for 6 glorious years – a period she looks back on fondly, calling her former teammate a great mentor and partner.
“When I partnered with Jwala, I had zero experience. I started playing in the junior category and then moved to the seniors for a year and the next thing I know, I was partnering Jwala. So, I believe Jwala had a lot of responsibility because we played in big tournaments. However, the good thing is that when I started playing with Jwala, we clicked instantly! She guided me a lot, was very supportive and was there for me every step of the way. She was always the one with experience and I was picking things up,” Ash gave a glowing tribute to her former partner.
Drawing parallels to Jwala in 2010 and Ashwini now, I asked her if she felt any added pressure to guide 23-year-old Sikki Reddy similar to how Jwala mentored her? “Not at all,” came the instant reply from her. “Sikki and I are, more or less, on the same page considering she already has a few years of experience under her belt, unlike me when I started out with Jwala.”When quizzed about the future of the partnership, Ashwini is taking a pragmatic approach while looking forward to a great partnership in the meantime.
“We are two ambitious individuals who have gotten together. We are going to see how it goes. If it works, that’s great. If it doesn’t, well, that’s how life is,” admitted Ashwini.
Saina or Sindhu
Moving on to the biggest debate in Indian badminton was a no-brainer, but Ashwini, diplomatically, refused to pick one out of Saina Nehwal or PV Sindhu, saying they both have a long way to go.
Answering the debate in the same clever manner she deals with a tricky drop shot on the court, she said, “I feel the one that is more mentally tough and lasts there the longest will be considered the greater player. Sindhu is still young while Saina also has a few years ahead of her. Saina is very strong mentally and is extremely hard working while Sindhu has age on her side. When they both hang their boots, we may have Saina and Sindhu as 1-2, or it could be the other way around, you never know. Either way, it doesn’t matter as both of them are Indians at the end of the day.
”Going nowhere with the Saina-Sindhu debate despite repeated probing, I moved on to ask her about her fitness mantra, which has helped her stay at the top of her game for so long.
“Currently, my fitness mantra is being smart. I’ve always been on the stronger side physically. When I started working on my fitness in December after a spell out, I took on a routine that was ‘my body specific’. Being a sportsperson, it is very important you only do stuff which helps your body and not everything which ends up breaking your body.
”She talked about having to keep herself motivated to work out and keep her fitness levels up, specifically highlighting the effort of fitness trainer Deckline Leitao and Red Bull, who have let her enjoy her fitness sessions once more with their unique ‘best fitness friend’ campaign.
“It’s nice I’ve found this new found love to enter the gym and go and work out. It’s been good,” said the Red Bull athlete.
Using social media as a motivating tool
Ashwini is one of the most accessible Indian sportspersons, regularly using social media as a tool to communicate with her fans and loved ones – something she thinks the European players do extremely well. However, she has made her share of mistakes by being over-indulgent and says that she has been learning over the years.
“In the past, I had put out my email address on social media, and I got a lot of mails. I was overwhelmed with all the love and replied to each of them. But, I would get more replies and it became an endless cycle,” laughed Ashwini recalling her young, naïve self.
“Twitter helps that way. When I have time, I go there and answer questions of fans who I feel are genuine and want to know about me. So, I feel like social media like Twitter and Facebook is a good way to let your fans know what you’re up to. It’s amazing the kind of support you get, especially when you’re down and things aren’t going your way. They give you messages like ‘It’s okay. We’re with you, etc. So, it’s very motivating.’” she claimed.
“Being a public figure, it’s important you stand up for a cause”
Anyone who knows Ashwini Ponnappa is well aware of her love for animals. She has been an active PETA campaigner while constantly lending her voice and face for causes supporting animal rights. Being a public figure, she feels it is imperative that one supports a cause.
“For me, personally, I do it because I love animals. Being in the limelight, a celebrity, sportsperson or a public figure, it’s important you stand up for some cause – need not be animal rights, it could be the environment, supporting the girl child, old age homes, etc. I think that when you are in a place where you can make a difference and you can help out, I think you should do that,” professed the animal-lover, who herself has 4 adorable dogs at her parents’ house in Coorg.
Biggest achievement
The coveted gold at the 2010 CWG made a massive impact as it was won in front of the home crowd.
A quick glance at my watch made me realize that I had overshot my time by over 20 minutes – a period which had flown by as she patiently answered each of my questions, keeping me entranced all the time. Trying to quench my never-ending thirst, I put forth a final question in front of her: ‘Which achievement would you classify as your best so far in your career?’
“The best would definitely be the 2010 Gold at the CWG. The next would be followed by the bronze at the World Championships because it is, after all, the World Championships! Also because we were the first Indian pair to win it and the second after Prakash sir to win a medal there was a huge deal,” she revealed. “However, the CWG is close to my heart as it was the first win for us (Ashwini and Jwala) and it was massive because it was in front of our own fans with everyone watching.”
“It made a huge difference that we won it in India. If we had won it in 2014 in Glasgow and not in 2010, the impact wouldn’t have been the same and people probably wouldn’t have known who Jwala and I were. If it was somewhere else other than India, the newspapers would have carried it as (uses her hands to indicate a small heading at the bottom of the page) ‘Jwala and Ashwini won CWG gold’. While the same paper would have printed ‘Saina won CWG gold’ (gestures it to be a front page headline).
With the kind of treatment meted out to doubles players despite all the achievements, I shuddered as I thought of the impact, or lack of, it would have made had the 2010 CWG been held outside India. The repercussions would have been unimaginable and despite going through it all, Ashwini continued with her charming smile as I thanked her for her time before she humbly bowed out of the room to continue working ‘smart’ on her fitness in her quest to bring further laurels to the country.
source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / Home> Badminton / by Saransh Gehlot @saransh2703 / Editors Pick / February 13th, 2017
Ashwini Ponnappa said though Kim Tan Her has played a huge role in improving her game, there are many other coaches as well.
Indian women’s doubles shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa on Wednesday said former coaches Tom John and Indonesian Yusuf Jauhari believed in her capability and played a major role in improving her net play.
“There are two coaches who have influenced me a lot to improve my net play over the years. Initially it was Tom sir and then Yusuf sir played huge roles in this regard. The best thing about them was they believed in my capability as a net player,” she told PTI.
The 27-year-old from Bangalore, who won a gold and a silver at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games respectively beside clinching a bronze at the 2011 World Championship along with Jwala Gutta, had a good outing at the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold.
Ashwini, who decided to split with Jwala and pair up with Sikki Reddy in women’s doubles, reached the finals at the Lucknow event and also stunned World No. 4 Denmark pair of Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen in the semifinals of mixed doubles event along with her partner B Sumeeth Reddy.
Ashwini said though the Malaysian doubles coach Kim Tan Her has played a huge role in improving her game, but there are many other coaches who have done the same.
“Of course, Tan has played a huge role, but there are other coaches who have also played their roles. In fact, a lot of people has a role in developing a player,” she said.
Ashwini said a lot of junior players are going to benefit from Tan because he has the experience and his training is doubles specific.
“A lot of junior players are definitely going to benefit a lot from Tan. He has got the experience and his training is doubles’ specific,” he added.
Talking about Sikki Reddy, Ashwini said both of them were still trying to figure out their style of playing.
“We are still in the process of figuring out, for we have played just four tournaments so far, and playing with left-handed player like Sikki is a different experience. We are still figuring out whether to rotate a lot or play at the nets vice versa,” she said.
“We have a good understanding at the court and it is only going to get better in the future,” she added.
Talking about her encounter against Carolina Marin in singles match in Premier Badminton League, Ashwini said: She could have been stumped as she did not expect I would give a good fight to her,” she said.
Ashwini also said it could have been difficult for Carolina to prepare for the match against her as she did not have any knowledge of her singles capability.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Express Sports> Home> Sports> Badminton / by PTI / Bengaluru – February 08th, 2017
Joshna Chinappa, at rank 14, was the highest-ranked current Indian squash player in the latest Professional Squash Association rankings released.
Joshna Chinappa dropped a spot to be placed at 14th. – R. RAGU
Joshna Chinappa remains the highest-ranked Indian squash player in the latest Professional Squash Association (PSA) rankings released. Chinappa is positioned 14th, eight spots ahead of second-placed Indian Dipika Pallikal Karthik.
Sachika Ingale was at 79, and Janet Vidhi at 96, in the women’s section.
Among men, Saurav Ghosal remains the highest-ranked Indian, at 24. Vikram Malhotra is at 67, and Mahesh Mangaonkar at 70. Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu is positioned at 99.
source: http://www.sportstarlive.com / Sport Star / Home> More Sports> Squash / by Team Sportstar / February 03rd, 2017
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