It’s always exciting when a future badminton star is coached by the most celebrated badminton coach in India, Pullela Gopichand. Having unearthed the likes of Saina Nehwal and P.V Sindhu, there is naturally a buzz surrounding Samiya Farooqi, the 17 year old World Number 2 in the junior women’s singles charts.

A product of the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, Samiya spoke about her journey so far, her ambitions for the future, overcoming adversity and dealing with the pressure and expectations in an exclusive interview with SPOGO. 

How did your love for badminton begin? When did you feel it’s a sport you can pursue professionally?

My father says that when I was very young I loved going to sports shops and I always had very good hand – eye coordination. I remember watching tennis when I was a little over 6 years old and was fascinated by the sport. I asked my father if I could play the sport and he took me to the Gopichand Academy instead of a tennis academy because he thought that my body was very lean and it wouldn’t be suited for tennis. That’s when I started playing badminton and gradually started enjoying the game. I played the sport for fun until I was 10 years old which was when my coach Gopichand sir called my parents and said that he sees potential in me and that I should pursue badminton professionally.

What role has Mr. Pullela Gopichand played in your journey so far? How would you describe him as a coach?

Gopichand sir is not only my coach but also a mentor and a very big inspiration in my life. I have never seen a coach as hardworking, disciplined and dedicated as him. He puts in a lot of time and effort to not just bring out the best in me but also other players from India. He prepares us to become the best players in the world and I’m very thankful to him for pushing me to become the best. Every title that I win makes him feel that his hard work is paying off and he motivates me to work even harder to win bigger titles. His dedication towards the sport is such that he calls us at 4 am in the morning as he is busy with other senior players later in the day. He has a very good team of coaches who support him all the time. I believe I’m at the Harvard of Badminton in India and I feel lucky to have him as my coach and be mentored in his academy.

Who do you look up to as your idol in the world of badminton and why?

I look up to Tai Tzu Ying from Taiwan. Her strokes are extraordinary and very deceptive, even when it’s a crucial rally or an under pressure situation, she will always play her strokes to perfection and remains calm and composed. I also admire Carolina Marin for her attitude, both of them are the fittest players in the world. I learn a lot by watching their videos and I hope to be better than them one day.

You've suffered ankle and back injuries in the past. How challenging was it to recover from that and get back in the groove?

Injuries are a part of every sportsman’s life but the most difficult thing to get through is the toll it takes mentally as well as physically. I had an ankle injury towards the end of 2019 when I was at my peak and a back injury after the lockdown ended. I had to rest for two months to recover from the ankle injury and three months for my back injury. One of the toughest parts of resting was to control my diet as I couldn’t afford to gain weight. It’s also very tough mentally because a lot of negative thoughts kept crossing my mind such as “Will I be able to move the same way on the court? How hard will it be to get back? All my colleagues are getting better while I’m stuck with an injury” and so on. Whenever I got these kinds of thoughts I would speak to my parents and feel much better and more focused to recover faster. One of the most challenging aspects is the physical training after an injury, the body loses a lot of muscle after so many weeks of rest and it was tough to get my fitness back but thanks to my coaches they helped me get back on court faster.

Tell us more about your accomplishments so far and what do you hope to achieve in the future?

The major titles I’ve won are the Junior Asian Badminton Championship Under 15 and the Under 19 Bulgarian title. I have also won silver and bronze medals at International Under 15 level and many national titles. Since I have only just begun competing at the senior league, my current goal is to get into the top 100 of the world rankings and then gradually progress to top 50, top 10, top 5 and eventually become the world number 1. My ultimate goal is to win a gold medal at the Olympics and win many more super series titles to become the best women’s singles player in the world.

How challenging has it been to continue training amidst the pandemic?

Not only in India but the whole world was under lockdown for a few months because of the pandemic and my training stopped as a result. Even though I was doing online workout sessions with my trainers, it still wasn’t enough. Once the lockdown lifted, we started practicing again while taking all the necessary precautions but it was a challenge to get back on the court fitness wise. After a few days I suffered a back injury, so 2020 was a very tough year for me as well as many other athletes due to the pandemic.

How do you deal with all the pressure and expectations you have at such a young age?

There is always some pressure while playing. When I was a junior player, I didn’t really experience any pressure as I was doing well but when I progressed to bigger tournaments I started to feel more pressure. Even though my coaches and parents have never put any pressure on me and have only wanted me to give my best on the court, I have high expectations from myself and feel the need to perform in every match. Whenever I feel a lot of pressure, I meditate and pray because it helps me feel relaxed. My father says that winning and losing is a part of the game and I also believe that some pressure is good because it helps me be alert and play aggressively on court. I’m told I play well under important pressure situations in the match, so it works well for me.

How much of a leap has it been in the transition between junior and senior level tournaments?

The transition from junior to senior level has been pretty smooth. When I won the Under 13, I was made to play the Under 15 and when I won the Asian Championship Under 15, I was made to play the Under 19. I almost jumped past the Under 17 and when I started winning the Under 19 at the age of 16, Gopi sir told me to stop playing at the Under 19 level and shift to the senior level. I was a semifinalist in the National Senior Ranking in Pune and also at the Bangladesh International in Women’s Singles but lost a crucial year because of the pandemic. I’m 17 now and my target to be in the top 100 or even top 50 has been delayed because of a year being lost due to the pandemic. I’m hoping to get there this year provided we get to play in tournaments and my fitness level is good with no injuries.