Tue, Jul 22 03:17 AM
With so much perfection and finesse expected all around, the Olympics can be a rather intimidating experience. For shuttler Anup Sridhar, ranked 30 in the world, the trip to Beijing is expected to be nothing short of a minefield as the Indian qualifier comes up against the world's strongest field gathered for the world's most important contest. When dealing in such superlatives, he ought to imagine it's just another competition.
So facing the prospect of watching the world's best athletes flying the Olympic sporting sky in their wonder-garbs and capes, Anup Sridhar has realised he needs to relax his nerves. Even the exalted world of superheroes now includes a humanised Hancock. And Anup Sridhar took a break from his training, and decided to catch the latest Will Smith flick at a nearby theatre.
The 25-year-old is resting his sprained right ankle - a slight twist from a practice session on Saturday and couldn't make it to a media-event he was scheduled to attend in Mumbai. But with the doctor suggesting just a couple of days' rest and no cause for panic, the Bangalorean isn't unduly worried about this small pause in practice. Having played a few tournaments in Asia in the build-up to Beijing, Sridhar says that while he is in prime shape physically, he felt a tinge out-of-touch on court. "Physically I felt good, but I needed on-court work-outs, and that's what I'll continue working on, in the remaining period," he says. Much will depend on the draw, due to be released on July 26, Sridhar adds, and mentor Prakash Padukone concurs. "It will be very tough, though we can't rule out a medal possibility. The draw's crucial, and both Anup and Saina (Nehwal) will have to score a couple of big wins early if they have to move forward," Padukone cautioned, on the sidelines of the announcement of his tournament here.
For his ward of many years though, Padukone asserts that Sridhar needs to be in complete control of jangly nerves which can, on their own, negate all the hard-work. "He can't be overawed or get too carried away by the event. You can't take too much pressure. I've told him to not to think about the medal and just enjoy the experience," Padukone says of India's No 1, who has to his name a win against reigning Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat in 2007. The absolute underdog in that game at the World Championship, the Indian had played with no nervous baggage and made the most of his struggling opponent's discomfort.
"The Olympics will always have a lot of build-up and Anup needs to relax," Padukone concludes.
Sridhar has played the Sudirman Cup in Beijing in 2005, an experience he terms "quite ok." He isn't too keen on delving into the history and tradition of the Olympics. "I can't get caught up in all that," he says, shrugging off the pressure. Anup Sridhar won't dig deep into the vocabulary to describe what he feels ahead of his biggest competition, either. "Excited," he scratches his head, before rushing off for the latest movie about a humanised, believable, superhero.
