Badminton News: Anmol Kharb might not have known it, but in 2017, when Devender Kharab and a group of his neighbors came together to build a cement badminton court in their residential complex in Faridabad's Sector 16, he designed the first step in a series of events that will eventually see his daughter grow up. Anmol, 17, led India to their first Asian team championship title.

India equalized at 2-2 against Thailand in the final before Anmol Kharb crushed world number 45 Pornpicha Choeikeewong, prompting national coach Pullela Gopichand to hug her and her teammates for the raise amid cheers.

The victory was Anmol's third consecutive victory over a much higher ranked opponent at the Asian Championships, having defeated Chinese world number 149 Wu Luo Yu 22-20, 14-21 and 21-18 in the group stage, then sealed India's victory in the semi-final against Japan by beating world number 29 Natsuki Nidaira. Both victories will be decisive in their respective matches.

Gopi Chand praised the youngest player and, at 472 years old in the world, the lowest-ranked member of the Indian team.

“To accept the pressure and show such courage was very refreshing. He wasn't afraid. The kind of shots he plays come naturally to him. He reads the game well, we see his intelligence. He bowled beautifully,” Gopichand said.

“Indeed, as she easily competes against her older and higher-ranked opponents, and when compared to her illustrious predecessors like compatriot Saina Nehwal, it seems that this elite level of badminton suits the 17-year-old years. But Tangkis' feathers came to Kharb by chance.”

Although the field was intended for his son, Anmol, then only 10 years old, became interested in the sport.

“He’s very small but he won’t let anyone else play on the field until he gets the match for the first time. And at that age, we all spoiled him,” recalls Devender.

However, he soon realized that Anmol's interest in the sport was not just fleeting. “There is a saying in Hindi Pooth ke peacock palne me dikhaye. (A person's future can be determined by their current actions)

“I looked for a coaching course he could take. There were probably a hundred kids with him, but his first coach told him after a few sessions that he would go further than all of them,” says recalls Devender.

In terms of results, he wasn't sure Anmol Kharb would go that far. In his first state championship, he reached the final but lost in his first U-13 national quarterfinal that same year.

The following year, she lost at the U-15 national championships to India's No. 1 player Samayra Pawar. It wasn't an outcome that worried him or his father.

“At that time, he was still very small. She competes with girls two years older than her. But even though he lost, he never got discouraged. I always see him smiling. She made friends and dated girls from all over the state. After a tournament, I would bring him home and find him chatting with his opponents,” he said.

Anmol Kharb will have his breakthrough season towards the end of 2021 when he finally becomes the U-15 champion.

“That’s when he really started to hit his formative years.” “He's always been very fast, but now he can finally reach shuttles he couldn't reach before,” Devender said.

That’s when Anmol Kharb started taking his training seriously.

“Even though he was very good at his studies, he decided to take a non-scientific path. He also moved his training center,” Devender said.

Anmol Kharb now trains in Noida under coach Kusum Singh, who was once a contemporary of Saina Nehwal. His mother, Rajbala, travels three hours a day with him from her home in Faridabad. However, his training is not limited to badminton training alone.

“We are from Haryana so we have traditional ways of preparing it. He drinks a lot of milk and eats halwa and bajra roti to get strong. But we also have several methods that people find different. Every morning, Anmol wakes up at 5 a.m. and heads to the park where the former international boxer takes fitness classes. He is one of around forty children, but he is the only badminton player. “This idea came from his mother because she thought Anmol needed that kind of power in his game,” Devender said. “

“It's unusual, but it undoubtedly worked. Had her coach played against Nehwal, Anmol, who idolizes her compatriot, emulated her feat by winning the national championship last year.”

However, his domestic title will pale in comparison to the Asian title he helped India win. Although it is a historic feat, Pastor Devender, who traveled to Malaysia, where he watched from the stands, said he does not expect Anmol to change much -thing.

“She was always a very happy and lucky girl. He always makes jokes. Like when he came back from training, he would come through the back door and hug me from behind just to scare me. Even if he won a match or tournament, he expected rewards like food at a restaurant. But he would specifically ask for chocolate ice cream. Because it’s something he generally shouldn’t eat,” he said.

With the Asian team's historic gold around its neck, Anmol is negotiating this time from a position of strength.

“You can’t say no after a win like this,” Devender explained.

Article Tag: Anmol Kharb, India, Asian Team Championships 2024