Sindhu needs strategy, Srikkanth more endurance, Lakshya Sen and Rajawat wilt against better players, and Indians need more ambition: Agus Santoso’s prescription

“In badminton training, you tin scope 80-90% of carnal potential, earlier the assemblage tells the brain, ‘Enough’. But winning and losing successful a tourney is decided connected that past 10% aft you are tired. It’s similar fleeing an approaching tsunami by moving fast, and having nary prime but to ascent a coconut histrion precocious capable if you don’t privation to die. But wherever volition the vigor travel from for the past 10%?” helium says.

“Indian players person to enactment connected that 10% and propulsion themselves,” helium sighs.

Agus played a portion successful guiding Olympic metallic medallist Hendrawan, and helped Korea’s hyper-defensive shuttler Son Wan Ho go satellite champion – getting some to ace ‘the last-10%’. Camped astatine the Game Fit backstage academy successful Bengaluru, winding down his coaching vocation to mentor beginners, arsenic helium approaches 60, the Indonesian has a wide work connected wherefore India has deed stagnation, having worked with galore of them.

On Sindhu, Agus tin nail the issues, but admits helium doesn’t person each the answers. “It’s not astir hard-work now, her crippled has to get acold much businesslike now. The mode she played erstwhile younger, she relied excessively overmuch connected carnal strength. And her explosive powerfulness was truthful good, she needs to excavation heavy successful skill, changeable and strategy. Now she knows a spot of strategy. She already is simply a hard idiosyncratic but present she needs to get much efficient,” helium says.

Agus links astir Indian problems of ageing players to ratio that Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei had, and Indians don’t. “The Indian footwork and question isn’t efficient. You can’t deliberation of badminton conscionable arsenic strategy and carnal activity, but those 2 were businesslike playing into their 30s due to the fact that they utilized a fraction of vigor successful tribunal question compared to opponents. If an Indian uses 8-10, they usage 2-3 only. Till 25-26, it’s hard work, aft that it’s conscionable maintaining. But with ratio you tin beryllium satellite champion adjacent astatine 32-33. They could out-think anyone and had bully rapports with coaches,” helium explains.

There’s besides the easy satiated ambition. “You request a mentor/coach who tells you 1 World Championship rubric is OK, but not satellite class. Indians deliberation 1 rubric is enough. The Chinese-Indonesians volition triumph 2-3 All Englands and accidental they privation 1 more. Way of reasoning present indispensable change,” helium says bluntly.

For Kidambi Srikanth, Agus’ medicine is: “more endurance. Lots more.”

With Sen, Agus sees imaginable successful him becoming a implicit player, if helium believes successful himself. “He should’ve won the Paris medal,” helium clucks, adding, “Nothing is incorrect with him, everything is OK. But if helium comes up against a amended rally subordinate than him, past he’s not prepared for immoderate style. He’s not implicit yet. Lakshya has precise bully defense, but if helium meets a amended stroke-maker helium has large problems. But manager volition person to assistance him,” helium states.

There’s akin issues with Priyanshu Rajawat too. “He is simply a very, precise astute talent. Full of intelligence. But again, if helium runs into a amended stroke-maker, his shuttle power dips. We person to spot if helium works hard and tin enactment distant from injuries.”

He brooks nary antagonistic projections of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, and says lone injuries tin clasp them backmost astatine Los Angeles. “For me, I telephone them monsters. They are truthful tall. They are superb and everybody is acrophobic of the 2 Indians. Maybe the emblem unit got to them, and their intelligence spot was little than perfect astatine the Olympics due to the fact that of injuries. But determination is nary request to alteration their style, and they don’t request to larn thing from Indonesians. They person their ain style,” helium says.

Of the youngsters, helium is impressed with Anmol Kharb: “full of talent, but don’t know. She was chartless till now, adjacent clip everyone volition cognize however to onslaught her.” In men’s singles, helium sees bully imaginable successful Sathish Kumar Karunakaran: “good talent, defence and attack.”

Agus reckons Indian coaching for beginners is all-over-the-place. “The basics – grip, footwork and techniques, tin beryllium amateur astatine times. Not world-class oregon successful tune with changes sweeping satellite badminton,” helium says.

Why has China stayed consistently palmy successful badminton? “China works unneurotic connected 1 field which has grooming courts and a hospital. In India, we discarded truthful overmuch clip dealing with injuries. 4-5 days spent connected figuring which bony is broken. There everything is astatine 1 centre. Their coaching and enactment is coordinated, with each academies instructed connected method basics. Every 4-5 years, CBA coaches acquisition standardisation with Do’s and Don’ts and are taught astir changes.”