No home advantage, says Jwala Gutta

Doubles specialist Jwala Gutta tells DNA she is disappointed at not getting access to the venue in advance. Feels Indians have been treated like any other athletes.

How do you rate India’s chances at the Commonwealth Games?
We have a very good side. I believe this is the strongest contingent in badminton for some time. Singles, of course, Saina is good. In mixed doubles, I and Diju have been consistently performing well. Even alongside my women’s doubles partner Ashwini, we have done more than a decent job. I believe I can win gold in both mixed doubles and women’s doubles.

With only Commonwealth countries participating, do you think the competition would not be that great?
Well, maybe it is easier in singles. But in doubles, Malaysia, Singapore and England have real tough teams. I don’t think it would be a cake walk in the doubles events. And at the end of it, you can’t say that since it is CWG, it is easier to win. It is competition where in all those who are participating are only eyeing medals and are not here for the sake of it. Probably Worlds and Asian Games are very tough, without the Chinese the event does become comparatively easy.

Would a medal performance here give you an ideal platform for the Asiad?
It boosts your confidence but remember Asian Games is a different ball game. The level of competition goes up by many notches. In a way, Asian medal is as good as winning a medal at Worlds. But it is always nice to go into any tournament on a winning note therefore a good performance at CWG should surely help.

It hasn’t been a smooth ride for CWG. Does that distract athletes?
As an athlete, one should focus on sport and that is what we do. We are here to participate. Whatever happens outside our perimeter isn’t our concern. Not that we don’t care, but administrators and organisers are there to take care of issues beyond the sport.

Any added pressures considering you are playing at home?
I have always loved playing at home. Probably, I would have loved to practice at the venues at least a month before the event started. It is disappointing that the host country hasn’t been given access to the facilities well in advance. We are treated like any foreign athletes. There isn’t any home advantage as such. One should understand that we come from a different city. Adjusting to climate, food and other things takes some time.

How would you rate your partnership with Diju over the last few months?
We have kept performing consistently and that’s what really matters. But what surprises me is that despite being world No.6 pair, we aren’t getting any sponsors. Sometimes it is discouraging. Not that I play for money, but there are few players who have done well and have got sponsors, but what wrong have we done? In a way, it is upsetting but for me playing for the country gives me enough kick to do well.