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A member of Virat Kholi Foundation, Rutaparna Panda (fondly named as Neha) has stamped her authority in the Indian Badminton Circuit. She is also the first women player from the state of Odisha representing & winning for India in the International Circuit. In this detailed conversation with CynergyServices, Rutaparna spills out on her sporting journey, initial struggles in her life, studies and much more. This story will leave you thinking & believing that nothing is impossible for a willing heart.
Later in the conversation, Rutaparna is joined by her younger Sister - Swetaparna Panda (fondly named as Sneha) who is another emerging badminton star in the domestic circuit. Inspired and motivated by quick success of her sister, Swetaparna looks to unsettle many and prove her mettle.
Read in to know more of this very inspiring journey & do leave your comments below.
How are things for you during this Covid times? What are you doing to keep yourself fit and in practice? In what ways has it impacted your sport.
Well, as you know, with so many restrictions in Odisha we can’t step out for practice. To maintain my fitness, I do home workouts regularly, Yoga & meditations, core exercises etc. Twice a day we have sessions too. Online training sessions are being conducted by Gopichand Academy, while in the evenings I take online training session on the fitness aspects.
Other than that, on our own, I & My sister (Swetaparna Panda) perform wall practice, knocking in the house, work on shoulder rehab, strengthening exercises and above all we both sisters love dancing. Lots to do, really, and sometimes the day seems shorter..smiles!
End of the day, our intention is just to ensure high level fitness. When the games start, we must be ready to hit the court and hit hard.
Tell us about your family
My father (Ramachandra Panda) runs an auto-spare parts shop near our home, but he has lots of interest in Sports. He is just mad about sports. Even though he didn’t get opportunity to play, he is always thinking about how we can improve in our games. He used to train, play, and coach me on various aspects of the game. He wanted me to play for my country since childhood. In a way, I am currently living his dream.
It’s been tough for him these days due to Covid19 Lockdown, as business has dried up. Last few days, he has opened the shop back again, but things will take time to get back to normal.
My mother (Dharitri Sevika Panda) also has no connection to sports. She didn’t understand sports a lot and wanted me to focus on studies. I am the first one in family to play at this level & now my sister is picking up fast. I & My sister (Swetaparna Panda) are trying our best to ensure that we do well and bring medals for the country.
Rituparna along with his family, and sister Swetaparna Panda
In Studies, I have always done well personally. Was one of the brightest students in class. In just 1-2 months of studies, I managed to get 80%+ in my 10th & 12th Board exams. Due to my competitive nature, I always wanted to do well be it studies or sports. Once I gained interest in badminton, studies did take a back seat. In the first year of my badminton, I got selected for the nationals and after that even my mother was quite convinced too. I played my first national in 2010. I played U13 & U16 State Championship and got selected in U13 girls’ singles. That was the moment I decided to pursue badminton. It’s been a good 10 years since then. Time really flies!
Spending good time with family in this break
We watch comedy shows a lot together. Not much movies, but its comedy all the time. We sisters dance a lot together & it’s great fun. Swetaparna dances really well too. Beyond that, we spend lot of time signing and playing casio. My mother has got a great voice. We get to do all of these together, which was so rare in previous years. Not very good with cooking, but I try to spend time & help her in cooking. Whatever she cooks is healthy and tasty.We just love the home food.
Any support from the State, how did the transition happen to the Gopichand Academy?
People have supported me a lot. When I started playing, I used to travel 28-30kms (around in 2011) with my father on his bike to Bhubaneswar for training.
After getting selected for Asian Games, I got some support from the Chief Minister of Odisha. Before that I didn’t get much support from the state. There was lot of goodwill etc. but not financially. My father was spending out of his pocket. Due to lack of finances, I couldn’t play All India ranking tournaments and improve on my rankings that time. I kept playing for states, so that if selected, state will carry me into the Nationals. Those were the difficult times, when we couldn’t afford many things we wanted.
Rutaparna & Swetaparna Panda - Winning the East Zone Championship
U19 Nationals, I played together with my sister (Swetaparna Panda). We both played and we became champions in the U-19 Girls Doubles and Women’s Doubles in the state chamoionships.After that we both got selected for the East Zone Badminton Championship.We also became East Zone champions. Post which we played junior nationals in Udupi (Karnataka) together. That’s where Gopichand academy coaches noticed me. Even though I had lost the match, they saw my effort & the skills on the court. They saw me again in Senior Nationals at Patna (Bihar). Both myself & my sister were playing there. That’s where Arun Vishnu bhaiya and Siyadath Sir insisted me to join the academy.
Few months later in Feb 2017, I joined the academy.
Tell us about your coaching at the Academy & the coaching experience prior to that.
I used to train in Bhubaneswar earlier and also practiced at Cuttack for a few years. My father was my first coach.I learnt how to hold the racquet as well as various basic techniques of badminton from him. My grandfather had blood cancer so my father couldn’t manage business, travel for training each day, and also my grandfather’s health. Around 6-7 months, I had stopped playing due to these issues. So, I started playing outdoors with uncles/my father to keep up with my game.
At the Gopichand Academy, the atmosphere is electrifying. Lot of punctuality & discipline during training sessions is required. There is always an excitement going into the training schedules. We get to play with lots of other players too, who are already playing at National/International level.The coaches of the acadeemy advise us really well on court as well as off the court.When Gopichand sir is around, the intensity is much higher. We all love his presence & work even harder when he is around. Compared to the training I used to have earlier in Odisha, it’s a huge difference.
Rutaparna, with Gayathri Gopichand during the practice sessions
Your partners in Doubles & Mixed Doubles
I am always giving my 100% regardless of partners I play with. On-court or off-court, I am there to support my partner and ensure that we win the games we play together. Having played with K. Maneesha in Doubles & Ramchandran Shlok in Mixed, I can confidently say that I am on a right track. It’s a great experience for me & my game has improved because of experienced players like them. They have played for so long in the domestic & international circuit. My communication with them has been good and so is theirs. That’s the key to our success in Doubles.
Rutaparna & her partner K.Maneesha
I have played with Gayatri Gopichand Pullela in the All India Senior Ranking Tourmament,Hyderabad & won gold in the tournament. It was our first tournament together and we won it.It felt really good, and throughout she was so supportive. That was also my fifth gold across women’s and mixed doubles in four senior ranking tournaments in 2019.
One of your best memorable wins & loss off late..
Wining Ghana International along with K.Maneesha & Hellas Open in 2018 with Arathi Sara Sunil, will stay in my memory for long. Playing at that level & winning them was a huge confidence booster for the next tournaments to come.
Rutaparna & K. Maneesha during the Ghana International
Loss in Tata Open in 2019, against Malaysia was really sad. It was a tight game but unfortunately, we were not on the winning side. Malaysians played well to seize the game.
Managing Studies at KIIT
I am currently staying in Hyderabad, so I am not able to attend classes. However, I do need to come back for examinations to Odisha. I carry my books with me & try to study after our sessions at the academy. It’s quite tiring, but again can’t afford to miss on the books either. My University is also providing me a lot of support and encouragement.
And your sponsors..
I am associated with Yonex & Virat Kohli Foundation. VKF has been extremely helpful and also is taking care of all my expenses. I just need to focus on my game, keep winning and not think of anything else. They have selected me in the foundation, so I really feel indebted to them.
Rutaparna at the VKF Event. (Credit - Instagram)
Joined by: Swetaparna Panda [Rutaparna’s Panda Sister]
Tell us how did you started playing badminton, and what motivated you to in the sport. Was it your sister, you draw your inspiration from?
I have been playing since I was 8-9 years old. We have 6 years age difference between us. Rutaparna has been performing really well, and it’s a great motivation for me. There is no pressure, but instead it kind of inspires me to do well and match my sister’s standards.
Rutaparna & Swetaparna
I have been playing at state level for 4 years+ now. In July 2019, I won U-15 All India Sub- Junior Ranking Tornament,2019 in Manipur, playing with Sathwik Reddy of Telengana. Later, I won Gold in the U-15 Mixed doubles at the Sub-Junior National Badminton Championship in Bhubaneswar as well.
Swetaparna winning the Sub-Junior National Badminton Championship in Bhubaneswar
In December 2019, I made my International Debut at the Badminton Asia U17 and U15 Junior Championships 2019,Surabaya,Indonesia. We went up to Pre quarterfinals in Mixed Doubles.
After these recent successes, people in the national circuit have started knowing me. I feel more responsible now and want to do well for the country.
How are your trainings going on?
We are training at home together, in the same online sessions which Rutaparna does. Otherwise I was training with my father before winning the Nationals.
And, your studies..
I just did my 10th board exams, waiting for results. Was playing throughout the year, so I had to spend around a month plus, to study and prepare for my exams. Hopefully I don’t have to study and give exam yet again because of Covid-19 situation. laughs...!
Any specific reasons for Doubles, for both you sisters?
Rutaparna: I started with Singles at State Level. In U17, I went to the Semifinals in all India Junior Ranking Tournament at Kerala. Lack of practice was an issue at that time in Odisha, and with just my father around with me, it was not sufficient enough for making a mark in Singles. I couldn’t join an academy on my own due to lack of finances. While at the Gopichand academy, they saw my game and proposed me to go with Doubles. Having been in the sport for so long, coaches always give decisions better for our future. I just heard them and followed their direction. Results have been great, and I think it’s suiting my game & personality too. I have stopped singles totally for now, and our complete aim is to win medals for India in Doubles.
Rutaparna & Swetaparna during the conversation with Cynergy
CynergyServices wishes Rutaparna & Swetaparna, a safe health & a great 2020. We thank them for their time & his support to the community.
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Gyananjaya sahoo on June 08, 2020 13:37