Unfair to compare results of Indian doubles players with singles, says Ashwini Ponnappa

Indian shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa said that it is unfair to compare the performances and results of doubles and singles players in the country. In a year in which Indian singles players won seven Superseries titles and two world championship medals, the best result for doubles was a semi-final finish for Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy at the Japan Open Superseries.

Ponnappa said that doubles and singles performances can only be compared if the two sets of players had the same kind of exposure and financial backing. Taking the example of the recently concluded junior Nationals in which singles winners were awarded a car while doubles champions had to contend with a cash prize of Rs 52,000, the 28-year-old said, “In a country which doesn’t focus on doubles, having higher expectations is not easy on us. Doubles in India is a last resort if things don’t work out in singles.”

Ponnappa said that 2017 was a “good year” for Indian doubles considering multiple pairs did well. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty reached two Superseries quarter-finals, while the former paired with Ponnappa to help India reach the last eight of the Sudirman Cup as well.

Doubles players in India are also hampered by the fact that they don’t have good enough sparring partners, Ponnappa said. “The top countries have four-five really good pairs and [when] they spar against each other, they automatically play at a high level.”

The 2011 world championships bronze medallist also said that it takes time for a doubles pair to understand each other before producing results. Ponnappa started playing with Rankireddy and Reddy only this year.

“There are two players involved in any doubles team and for a combination to work it takes time,” she said. “A singles player starts playing, say at the age of eight, and then trains the rest of their lives. I am playing with a partner for less than a year. It’s not the same.”

No role models

Indian doubles players also do not have the same kind of role models to look up to like their singles compatriots, Ponnappa said. “Prakash Padukone and [Pullela] Gopichand won All England Open titles – there are idols to look up to [for singles]. But for us, it’s different. I’d say Jwala Gutta and I have done well, and Jwala and Diju did really well as a pair, but how many people know that?

“How many people know they were the first Indian pair to reach the Superseries year-end final? And what we saw at the junior Nationals this year, if that’s the kind of motivation we are giving youngsters, then how do we expect results?”

Ponnappa said that things were moving in the right direction, adding that the Premier Badminton League is also helping bridge the gap. “I remember last year when Sikki and I got to learn a lot from the Korean pair [Ko Sung-Hyun and Yoo Yeon-Seong] with the Blasters. They come from an environment where doubles players are produced in bulk. So, PBL, in that sense has really helped us. We get to interact with players who have so much more exposure, technical insight and we learn a lot from them.”

When asked about the new service rule that will be introduced on an experimental basis next year, Ponnappa said that it would not be much of a problem for her but could affect taller players. According to the new rule, the shuttle should be below 1.15 metres from the surface of the court at the instant of being hit by the server’s racket.

“A lot of the European players who are tall will be affected by this, because it’s not easy to bend,” she said. “To me it’s fine, but for taller players, it’s not fair. At the end of the day, players should not be put at undue disadvantage because of their height.”

New owners of Delhi Smashers

Ponnappa was talking at the event announcing new ownership of the Delhi franchise in the PBL. Dalmia Bharat Group are the new owners of the franchise for the third edition, it was announced in Delhi on Wednesday.

The Delhi team, which was known as Delhi Acers in the last two editions, was officially rechristened to Delhi Dashers this season.

Ponnappa is the most recognisable Indian star in the franchise, with the singles lineup comprising of China’s Tian Houwei and Taiwan’s Wang Wing Ki Vincent. Ponnappa, who missed the first match due to her wedding earlier this week, said she was thrilled to join the team and that there was no added pressure on her, being the face of the franchise.

“No pressure at all, we have Sung Ji Hyun and Tian Houwei in our ranks – both very good players. Ivanov and Sozanov are great. There is not pressure on me, this is a team event and I want to do as well as I can,” she said.