Sindhu, Srikanth, and the All England question: Gopichand on its relevance and India’s hopes | Badminton News
Pullela Gopichand doesn’t reckon PV Sindhu or Kidambi Srikanth’s legacies will be incomplete if they never win the All England. The tournament, though, needs a shake-up to remain a must-win on every illustrious badminton CV. However, having won it himself, the last Indian to do so, he can’t stop wondering if another might come along and get the thing done, at the upcoming edition in a fortnight, from March 3-8. “Sindhu still can win, she has it in her…and I think someone like Ayush Shetty has a very good chance to turn up out of the blue and win it,” he says, 25 years after his own defining triumph, while upbeat about fellow Indians. The emotion of his win has crystallised into a clear perspective. “What’s so special about All England?” some current players ask. “Since I won it, I’ll say it’s a big deal!” Gopichand laughs but understands why it might not hold the same reverence today. It’s the closest that badminton has to a storied chronicle, a tapestry that goes back considerable years. …
