NEW DELHI: Doubles specialist Ashwini Ponnappa desires the apathy against doubles players within the nation to end and bats for the same roughly enhance device, prize money and importance singles players get.
TOI Sports caught up with Ponnappa after her fit for Delhi Dashers towards Hyderabad Hunters at the Siri Fort Sports Complex on Sunday.
"If you look at the past result and the current record, the graph is actually going up and not downward with every win and achievement doubles players have got. But their success has not been portrayed and I need to be asking that from you guys (media) why doubles players are not given their due despite doing well," Ponnappa said.
"You can't really compare doubles with singles, they are two very different events. Most of us started off as singles players for longest part of our career. Later on, we were made to change to doubles. It's not like we voluntarily change to doubles. If it was a voluntarily choice then it would have been different situation," she added.
"Ask any junior, they want to take up doubles, they still want to take up singles if they had a chance. Because they have seen the kind of importance singles and doubles get. I think doubles has been doing well for the past couple of years. Since 2008 or 2009, doubles has been on top but no one likes to focus on that. They just like focusing on the losses we have had and constantly comparing doubles to singles and if that's the case then we should have the same kind of support system, prize money and importance," the 28-year-old participant said.
After a sloppy begin to the Premier Badminton League campaign, Delhi Dashers got their campaign back on the right track in an emphatic approach as they defeated Hyderabad Hunters 5-0. Ponnappa and her mixed doubles spouse Vladimir Ivanov registered instantly games 15-11, 15-12 victory over Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth.
"We were looking forward to getting a good win in this match because we didn't start off as we would have liked to. All of us are really happy that we have won because it was quite important for us and definitely it gives us lot of confidence," Ponnappa said about Delhi's first victory of the season.
She also stressed out on the importance of Indian players taking part in alongside overseas players in PBL. "We get to learn a lot, we get to interact with them which otherwise we would not really get to do. Normally, when you travel, we stick to our own country team, so it gives a chance to interact, mingle, learn and grow as players."
Ponnappa had a really perfect affiliation together with her former spouse Jwala Gutta as they'd received gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, bronze at the 2011 World Championship and silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. They also claimed two medals at the 2016 South Asian Games.
Ponappa is recently ranked 28th in women's doubles and 50th in mixed doubles however that is not going to bog down her probabilities to participate within the upcoming CWG and Asian Games this year. "CWG and Asian Games does not really depend on ranking, it depends on your Indian team status and how well you are amongst Indian players because you go as a team. It's not like Olympics or World Championships where you need to qualify."
And Ashwini's standing a few of the nation friends are just right as she had clinched the mixed doubles name with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and ladies's doubles trophy with N Sikki Reddy at the Senior National Championship in November.
TOI Sports caught up with Ponnappa after her fit for Delhi Dashers towards Hyderabad Hunters at the Siri Fort Sports Complex on Sunday.
"If you look at the past result and the current record, the graph is actually going up and not downward with every win and achievement doubles players have got. But their success has not been portrayed and I need to be asking that from you guys (media) why doubles players are not given their due despite doing well," Ponnappa said.
"You can't really compare doubles with singles, they are two very different events. Most of us started off as singles players for longest part of our career. Later on, we were made to change to doubles. It's not like we voluntarily change to doubles. If it was a voluntarily choice then it would have been different situation," she added.
"Ask any junior, they want to take up doubles, they still want to take up singles if they had a chance. Because they have seen the kind of importance singles and doubles get. I think doubles has been doing well for the past couple of years. Since 2008 or 2009, doubles has been on top but no one likes to focus on that. They just like focusing on the losses we have had and constantly comparing doubles to singles and if that's the case then we should have the same kind of support system, prize money and importance," the 28-year-old participant said.
After a sloppy begin to the Premier Badminton League campaign, Delhi Dashers got their campaign back on the right track in an emphatic approach as they defeated Hyderabad Hunters 5-0. Ponnappa and her mixed doubles spouse Vladimir Ivanov registered instantly games 15-11, 15-12 victory over Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth.
"We were looking forward to getting a good win in this match because we didn't start off as we would have liked to. All of us are really happy that we have won because it was quite important for us and definitely it gives us lot of confidence," Ponnappa said about Delhi's first victory of the season.
She also stressed out on the importance of Indian players taking part in alongside overseas players in PBL. "We get to learn a lot, we get to interact with them which otherwise we would not really get to do. Normally, when you travel, we stick to our own country team, so it gives a chance to interact, mingle, learn and grow as players."
Ponnappa had a really perfect affiliation together with her former spouse Jwala Gutta as they'd received gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, bronze at the 2011 World Championship and silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. They also claimed two medals at the 2016 South Asian Games.
Ponappa is recently ranked 28th in women's doubles and 50th in mixed doubles however that is not going to bog down her probabilities to participate within the upcoming CWG and Asian Games this year. "CWG and Asian Games does not really depend on ranking, it depends on your Indian team status and how well you are amongst Indian players because you go as a team. It's not like Olympics or World Championships where you need to qualify."
And Ashwini's standing a few of the nation friends are just right as she had clinched the mixed doubles name with Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and ladies's doubles trophy with N Sikki Reddy at the Senior National Championship in November.
Doubles players' success not highlighted: Ponnappa
![Doubles players' success not highlighted: Ponnappa]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
January 02, 2018
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