“I want to push myself to take part in the Tokyo Olympics,” says Kidambi Srikanth

Kidambi Srikanth was considered the next big Indian badminton star when he broke into the scene. His rise was spectacular as he defeated the likes of Lin Dan and Viktor Axelsen, went till the quarter-finals in the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 when he was ranked No. 11 in the world before winning four Super Series titles. His rise continued as in 2018, he became the first Indian male to reach the No. 1 ranking.

However, injuries to his knee hampered his progress and led him to drop down in rankings. The 27-year-old is currently ranked 22nd in the world and will have to reach at least the 16th position to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Srikanth will thus have to take part in a plethora of tournaments before the Games to gain in ranking points.

‘I have a good chance against the best players in the world’

Kidambi Srikanth spoke to Olympic Channel about his prospects at the Tokyo Games and said, “I think I can really get much better physically. So the moment I get physically fit, when I’m at a 100 per cent to play at my best, I will think about the Olympics. When I get to my peak, I think I definitely have a very good chance against the best players in the world. I really want to push myself as much as I can in 2021 and give my best. We’ll see what happens.”

Srikanth was then asked about the lockdown and how he is keeping up with his fitness. “I think the lockdown has really helped me to work on my rehabilitation a lot more. I think my knee is doing really well and I am able to do good, heavy training sessions. It has given me the time that I needed to be at my physical best myself before playing again. I want to work on my fitness a lot more, cut down on the unforced errors, and be consistent. I want to hit more smashes and be aggressive because that’s my style,” Srikanth signed off.

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