NEW DELHI: When Isharani Baruah looks at India’s badminton squad for the Asian Games, she doesn’t see a team overawed by Asia’s traditional powerhouses.The 22-year-old from Assam will make her Asian Games debut in Aichi-Nagoya, stepping into a squad that brings together the experience of two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and the emergence of youngsters such as Tanvi Sharma, Unnati Hooda and the doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.For Isharani, the journey to this stage began almost by accident. Growing up in Dibrugarh, she was a regular fixture among the boys playing different kinds of sport in her neighbourhood. A neighbour noticed her enthusiasm and suggested badminton to her mother. There was no sporting pedigree at home, no elaborate plan for a career in badminton — just a young girl, a racquet and an opportunity that changed the course of her life.India’s medal ambitions in Aichi-Nagoya come against a backdrop of steady progress on the Asian circuit. The gap with China, Japan and other established powers may still exist, but Indian players are increasingly finding themselves on the latter stages of tournaments rather than merely entering them.For Isharani, the evidence is there week after week.“If you see the Super 100 and Super 300 tournaments, there are always three or four Indians reaching the quarterfinals or semifinals. Even in the 500s, we’re competing well. Badminton has definitely grown in India, and we’re going to reach the level of countries like China and Japan quite soon. We’re ready to challenge these powerhouses at the Asian Games,” she said.Her own rise has followed that same route. Consistent performances on the lower-tier circuit have helped her climb the rankings and, more importantly, exposed her to opponents from the badminton-heavy nations of Asia.“To reach the Super 750 and 1000 events, you first have to perform in the 100s and 300s because that’s how you earn ranking points. Playing against Chinese and Japanese opponents there and beating them gives us confidence before the bigger tournaments,” Isharani said.But perhaps the biggest change in her game has not been technical. It has been between the ears. Once prone to tightening up after mistakes, Isharani has learned to treat composure as part of her game plan. The smile that often appears on court is not simply an expression of enjoyment; it has become a way of resetting herself.“For me, the most important thing is to enjoy playing. Even if I’m making mistakes, I don’t want to become tense because then I lose focus on the next point. I keep smiling, I talk to my coaches more, and I trust the process,” she said.
