In Oly year, Parupalli Kashyap eyes ascendancy

There can be doubts on athletes' minds when they are coming back from an injury lay-off. More so if you are a top-ranked player. There's a sense of uncertainty about giving your 100 per cent, fearing the injury recur or a new one cropping up.

Perhaps Parupalli Kashyap, who was India's highest ranked men's singles badminton player until compatriot Kidambi Srikanth overtook him, is going through this phase as he readies to play his first tournament in more than 10 weeks.

The 29-year-old Hyderabadi is returning from a calf muscle tear on the left leg sustained during the French Open in October to turn out for Hyderabad Hunters in the Premier Badminton League starting at the National Sports Club of India here on Saturday.

"I don't know why my calf snapped in between. I was looking forward to this season," Kashyap said here on Friday. "Once you get back to training, niggles here and there are not really pleasant."

Kashyap, who has Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei and Jwala Gutta among his teammates in this two-week franchise-based league, is hopeful of returning to his best form as he eyes qualification for the Rio Olympics through some important tournaments leading up to it. There are 11 events to strengthen the qualification chances for the 15th-ranked shuttler but Kashyap said he will probably take part in only "seven or eight" of them.

However, Kashyap, who pipped compatriot Ajay Jayaram at the last minute for the 2012 London Olympics qualification, does not want to think about the mega event in August yet.

"I have the Malaysian Masters Grand Prix Gold in Penang (January 19-24) and Syed Modi GPG in Lucknow (January 26-31) soon after PBL. I will take a call during PBL on Malaysian Masters participation. I will surely play in Syed Modi. The ones I will target (for Rio qualification) are the tournaments in March when I want to get back to my best," Kashyap said.

Getting injury during the French Open second round game against England's Rajiv Ouseph was a huge set back to Kashyap's progress, especially for the Dubai Superseries Finals in December last year.

"I was really upset. I had a chance to qualify for Dubai. If I had played in tournaments and even lost in the first rounds, I still would have made it to Dubai. But it was not ethical to go on a wheelchair and concede my match. As a result of the injury, my ranking dropped (from 8 to 15). This being the Olympic qualification year, I would have had a considerable lead," said an optimistic Kashyap.

There are three Indian singles players – Kidambi Srikanth, Kashyap, HS Prannoy – in the top 20 as on date and only a maximum of two can make it should they feature in the top 16 as on May 3. But the London Olympics quarterfinalist is positive about making it to Rio.

"The way we are playing, all three of us should fall in the top 16, and then the top two will get through," Kashyap said.

Speaking of the immediate task on hand, Kashyap said the Trump Match concept in PBL "is very interesting".

"It keeps you thinking. Even if there is pressure on the player who is chosen as the trump, that pressure is good. We take it as a challenge," he said.

Kashyap said he saw the concept in the International Premier Tennis League. "Though it was only for one point. Here it is an entire match. It is a first time perhaps in badminton," he said.

Asked how keen he was to play in all the ties in PBL, Kashyap said: "I want to play all. It depends on the team management. I surely want to play the first match."

Hyderabad Hunters open their campaign against against Bengaluru Top Guns here on Sunday. On his team composition, Kashyap said: "We have a fantastic team. Lee Chong Wei is in our team. He is there until January 10, so he plays in four ties. We have top doubles players in Markis Kido and Carsten Morgensen. They have been awesome players for the last 10 years in world badminton.

"We also have a youngster in Siril Verma. You will hear a lot about him. So also doubles player Satwik Sai Raj. This league will help them so much. Obviously, we have Jwala, one of our good players in doubles. Hopefully we make it to the final," he said.