Goa’s Badminton Star: Anjana Kumari

Badminton has been known to be a popular sport in India. It is currently the second most played sport in India after cricket. Over the years we have seen many badminton players such as Saina Nehwal, Prakash Padukone, Srikanth Kidambi etc. put India on the world map in this sport. India has constantly seen the growth of new talents in Badminton with an equal importance given to women players as well. The Badminton Association of India has been promoting and encouraging the sport and offering sponsors to help players grow. However, the state of Goa still remains backward in this regard. Goa has seen the growth of quite a few Badminton players in the recent past but unfortunately the state lacks in its infrastructure and sponsorship. 

This limitation however does not stop the young minds in achieving their dreams. Talking to one of Goa’s top Badminton players, Anjana Kumari, we learned that though there is a lack of amenities, the players still find ways to improve their skills and stay motivated. Anjana Kumari is currently ranked Number 1 among the Women’s Badminton category in Goa. She has represented Goa at the National Games as well as represented India internationally at many tournaments. She recently represented India at the 29th Fjar International Challenge held in Iran in the Month of February 2020. She reached the quarterfinals but unfortunately had to drop out due to injury.

Anjana’s story is definitely a motivating one filled with highs and lows. Anjana spoke to us at Goan Insider to give us a broader detail about her Badminton career and also some tips for beginners. The excerpts of our conversation are below.

Tell us a little about yourself

I started playing Badminton in June 2012 at the age of 12, and currently I play the sport as a career and started playing. I am Goa’s Number One Player in the Women’s (Senior) Singles Category. I have represented Goa in different categories at Zonal and National Badminton Championships since 2014. In 2018, I represented the India Under 18 School Team at the World School Championship (WSC) held in Pune and thus, became the first player from Goa to represent the state in this World Championship. Our team reached the Semifinals of the mega event. This Championship is organized biannually by International School Federation (ISF).

In September of 2019 I started participating in International Tournaments organized by Badminton World Federation (BWF). Due to financial hardships, I had to forfeit many tournaments which I wanted to participate in. They could have made a big difference in my BWF Rankings, where I am right now. I had to play very few tournaments and after every tournament, my performance was improving. Though, with very limited resources at my disposal, within a very short period of time by playing a few tournaments, I booked my place among Top 250 Women Single players in BWF Ranking. At that moment I was hoping to be among Top 50 players by the end of 2020. Unfortunately due to  Covid-19 pandemic, all the tournaments which were scheduled to be organized after March 2020 have either been postponed or cancelled. I was at 239th Rank in the BWF Ranking right before the pandemic hit. I have also acquired a position among Top 25 Indian Women Singles Players list, ranking at 24th place. This list includes the Indian Ace Shuttler and former World No. 1 Player, Saina Nehwal and Olympic 2016 Silver Medallist P. V. Sindhu. With my current ranking and performance, I have also made a place among top five fastest rising current Indian Women Singles Shuttlers, who have played five or less International Tournaments.

What got you interested in sports? How did Badminton come about?

From my childhood I used to play all sports. I played every sport with the same spirit and enthusiasm. I also used to participate in different sporting events held at my school and win medals in almost all the events in which I participated. When I was in the VIIth Std, two incidents  happened which awakened my interest towards Badminton. One is that I got the chance to watch some of the International badminton matches played by India’s Poster Girl Saina Nehwal on television, which drew my interest towards this sport. The other incident was that the selection matches for different events were going on at the KVS Regional Level Tournament in our school. My sport teacher told me to participate in the Badminton event, as he had seen me playing badminton before. I participated and emerged the winner. Moreover, I was selected in other sporting events also and I had to choose one, so I decided to represent Badminton over other events.In this tournament, I reached the Quarterfinals without proper practice, training or coaching. Moreover, the other participants were in regular practice for a longer time and also many of them were taking coaching. With this performance, my parents and I were very happy. I also felt confident to go ahead with this sport.

What skills and attributes should Badminton players have? How did you improve your skills?

Badminton players require physical fitness and stamina just like any other sports players. Moreover, badminton is a fast game compared to other sports. To keep yourself up to that level, one requires to spend more time on one’s physical fitness and mental strength aspect as well. To improve one’s skills, I would like to say that every player has their own strengths and weaknesses. Accordingly, one has to spend more time to improve their strength and weaknesses.

How do you stay motivated after losing a game?

Winning or losing is part and parcel of any game. Once you are in sports,you have to get used to winning and losing. Losing a game is one part of the game and you can get over it only by your thoughts. To help me during my losses, I just tried to connect my thoughts with all the positivity around me and that’s how I would get over it.

You have represented Goa several times. Which has been your most memorable tournament and why?

I have been representing Goa State since 2014 and there are many memorable tournaments. It is very difficult to select one or two. However, one of the most memorable tournaments till date for me has been the 35th National Games in 2015 where I won the bronze medal. It was held in the State of Kerala. It was a really special win as the National Games are conducted and treated as the Olympics within the country.

In December, 2014, while we were returning to Goa after participating at the Junior National Championship held in Patna, and we were waiting at one of the stations in Mumbai to catch the train to Goa. The train was running late and we were getting bored.To kill time we bought a newspaper. When we turned to the sports page we read an article regarding the Goa Women Badminton Team’s participation at the 35th National Games to be held in 2015. We immediately started jumping with joy and enjoying the moment. This was a big achievement for us as this was the first time in the history of the National Games and Goa Badminton that the Goa Women Badminton Team was selected to participate in this event. On reaching Goa, we immediately started practicing as there was hardly time left to relax before the big tournament. We were very excited to participate in this event. We won the bronze medal. Being on the podium to receive the medal at the National Games is the most memorable moment for me. What made this moment even more special was that we were receiving the medal and bouquet in presence of our Goa Badminton Association Secretary, Shri Narhar Thakur. 

The other tournament which is also one of the most memorable one for me is representing India at the World School Championship (WSC) organised by International School Federation (ISF). Representing India at the International Level in a big championship, is always a dream of a sportsperson. I would like to mention my semifinal match which I played for the India Under 18 Girls Team in World School Championship (WSC) 2018 held at Pune. In this match we lost by a slender margin of 2-3 to France and missed the opportunity to play against China in the finals. However my performance was phenomenal as I won both the matches Singles and Doubles. Playing at this mega event while also representing our nation for the first time gave me goosebumps during the whole championship. Winning the crucial matches for the team was something which I loved the most and I will rejoice this championship always in my memory. With this participation, I also became the first girl from Goa, who had participated at this mega world event.

What aspect of your game comes easiest to you and which is the most difficult for you to master?

Physical fitness is something that comes to me naturally and my body is always ready for any physical activities. The skills which I am not used to or something which is new to me is difficult, but it takes some time to master it.

Tell us some of your best achievements and awards in Badminton till date.

As far as achievements are concerned, I can say that there are many achievements, however, I would like to mention the most memorable ones.

• Winning the Bronze Medal at the Team event in 35th National Games 2015 held in Kerala.
• Winning the Bronze Medal at the 2nd PNB MetLife West Zonal Championship.
• Winning the Runner Up Trophy at the Under 19 Inter State West Zonal Championship in individual Singles Category held at Vadodara, Gujarat.
• Winning Two Bronze Medals, one in individual singles and the other in the Team Event in Under 17 Category at Khelo India National Championship held at Hyderabad/Eluru.
• Semifinalist in the Team Event at the World School Championship (WSC) 2018 held at Pune, India.
• Participated in the SGFI twice and reached upto the Semifinal once in the Team Event.
• Quarterfinalist in the individual Singles category at the All India Senior National Badminton Tournament held at Sikkim.
• Quarterfinalist at the 29th Fjar International Challenge held in Iran 2020.
• Goa No. 1 Women Singles Player.
• My best ranking in the Women’s Singles category at the all India level is 27.
• Currently, I am the World No. 239th Singles Player in BWF

I am happy with my performance so far, however, I have to achieve a lot more since this is only the beginning of my career. To reach there, I have to practice more and bring more consistency in my performance. I am still waiting to achieve awards in the field of Badminton and I feel that moment will also come very soon. I know that I have to focus on my practice and performance and the rest will follow automatically.

You got to train under one of India’s best Badminton players, Prakash Padukone. How was that experience and what are your best moments from those times?

Sir Prakash Padukone is a legendary player in World Badminton and all the aspiring Indian Shuttlers dream to be just like him. To get selected to practice under sir’s watchful eye was a blessing. Recollecting my best moments of those days was that I was practicing with the best minds in Badminton that time. They had the perfect specific skills, knew when and how to use it and the best part was that they always kept motivating us to do better whenever we were trying something new or trying to improve over anything on court. I learned how to stay positive and fresh, on and off the court in a playful manner. This was the way they used to connect with all the kids which I feel was very impressive.

What are some of the challenges you face being a Badminton player in Goa?

I have mainly two problems which I face most. One is that there is no coach in and around Vasco area for training, where I reside. I have to travel either to Margao, Panaji or Ponda, which is far from my residence and it’s time consuming and has an adverse impact on my game. Also there is no Badminton academy in and around Goa. Due to this, we have to go to outstation academies and stay there so that we can get coaching with advanced techniques and equipment alongside quality players. However, it is very difficult financially for me to afford training for a longer period without any financial support or sponsor. The other issue is to get the equipment as they are expensive and many times unavailable.

In this regard, I hope to get a sponsor for my expenses soon. With the help I will be in a better position to give my best as we are planning for bigger tournaments and the expenses are more. It’s getting difficult to manage and hence I have to drop tournaments and training.

Are you sponsored by anybody or are you looking for sponsorship?

Currently I do not have a sponsor. I have to find a sponsor who can help me financially towards my travelling for practice, tournaments, equipment and other expenses. If I am able to find one then I can wholeheartedly focus on my practice and tournaments. Hopefully someone does come forward to sponsor me towards my financial expenses at the earliest, as it is getting difficult to survive.

What do you feel has been the high point of your career?

The high point is yet to come and I have yet to go a long way. This is only the beginning of my career. However, in this short journey I have seen many ups and downs and these are the integral part of a sports person’s life. To evaluate my performance till date, I can say that beating the top rank players, getting better after every tournament and improving my ranking is a high point for me. I don’t grade myself with great prestige when I win a tournament because every tournament has its own importance. But by showing consistency in my performance and improving on my mistakes is something which gives me satisfaction and pleasure I always compete with myself and not with my opponents. Consistency is the key to one’s career conclusion.

How was your experience in being a woman sportsperson in India? What is your current rank in Badminton?

According to me, as women sports persons in India, we are now in a better environment and getting more exposure and support from all sections of the society than before. The old backward mindset of parents, society, institutions and Government organizations have changed. Now they encourage the participation and promotion of girls in sports and are giving more attention in this regard. The Government policies also creating amore women friendly environment and therefore more women are coming forward to take up sports as a career. However, in garnering the financial support or getting sponsors is one area is something we still lack compared to our male counterparts. Currently, I am the No. 1 rank player in Goa and in BWF my rank is 239th.

How have the rewards of your career been so far?

It’s a tricky question to answer. Financially, till date I have not received any rewards. Although my physical fitness, discipline and approach toward life, respect in society has improved. I got the opportunity to meet a few great sports personalities like Prakash Padukone and visit the Governor’s House.

What for you would be the ultimate achievement in your sports career?

Ultimately I want to win the Gold Medal at the Olympics for my country and myself and also be the number one ranked player in BWF. I also want to win other major prestigious World tournaments for my country.

What advice would you give any young aspiring woman who wants to get into sports?

Now a number of young boys and girls are showing interest in sports and therefore, the competition level is increasing. To sustain and to get among the top players, one requires to give their 100 percent and consistency in practice. If someone is coming into this field with this mindset, then they can achieve great things.

What’s next for you down the road?

My immediate focus is to keep myself in good shape to represent the home team at the 36th National Games, giving my best and winning a medal in the individual category in the upcoming National Games. Also my aim is to participate and win more international tournaments to improve my BWF ranking and make a place among top 50 players at the earliest. 

Do you have a story to share with the world? Send us an email at contact.goaninsider@gmail.com