Why India needs more Kashyaps!

He lives a silent life in Hyderabad, wakes up at probably 4:30 in the morning, maybe jogs his way over to the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Gachibowli, definitely practices as hard as humanly possible, shares a joke or two with his compatriots, and returns back only to repeat everything the next day and the day after that and the day after that.

Squeeze in a couple of tournaments in between here and there, injuries that need to be dealt with, mindsets that need to tackled, and traumas that need to be vanquished. Put them all together and you’ll get a phenom called Parupalli Kashyap, who is without a shadow of a doubt a sparkling star that India has and yet at the same time does not know about.

His lifestyle is a choice he has made not because he was stuck with it, but because it’s the only thing that matters the most to him. He wants to serve his country to the best of his ability and his undying commitment towards performing well for India is purely an epitome of loyalty and allegiance.

Kashyap recently won a prestigious Gold medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and in the process became the first Indian male shuttler in 32 years to win the summit prize. The outcome must indeed be sweet for Kashyap, as it is for millions of Indians, but only he knows the pain and anguish that needed to be subjugated in order for him to reach this historic landmark and sculpt his name among the greats.

India won 15 Gold medals at the 2014 Games, but the one yellow metal that meant the most was the one that a certain Hyderabadi shuttler won on the ultimate day of the event. Not taking any credit away from the other 14 winners, but the reason why Kashyap’s medal was that much valuable was because it came to a person who truly deserved to be rewarded for his deeds and years of enduring constancy.

People seldom give Kashyap the credit and the accolade that he deserves for being what he is and doing what he does. After all he plays a sport that rarely has any takers. That too in India! It’s a combination that creates chemical chaos and makes no sense, which is ironic considering that the sport has its roots in India. The Indian Badminton League (IBL) was a positive step taken in that direction with the aim to snowball viewership for the sport; however, there was no second edition for the same and only God knows whether it will return next year.

And that is why Kashyap’s zeal is so much more intriguing. To sacrifice one’s body and mind day in and day out for a purpose that has no assured means of return says a lot about a person’s character. It creates a sense of vision that people still care about things that mean nothing to the world. It creates a pathway for people to join the bandwagon of impetuous passion without caring about the consequences. It creates an aura that is so serene in its execution that one can’t help but stop doing everything else and just applaud. And that is what makes Parupalli Kashyap who he is – a lone ranger on a mission!

Kashyap has never asked for anything in return for his services to India. He plays badminton with passion and fervor because the love of the game is what matters. He has never cribbed about anything or any person because he never plays for fame and glory. Every day he walks out to the court just to prove his worth to his country because that is of utmost priority.

Whether it was the Delhi Commonwealth Games where he bagged the Bronze medal or the London Olympics where he became the 1st Indian male in history to reach the quarterfinals, India came first as it always had and always will.

India today as a country needs more sportsmen like Parupalli Kashyap. Not because of the Glasgow Gold, but because of the attitude that he possesses when it comes to playing a sport. He has clearly proven to India and the whole world as well that if a person truly believes in what he does then nothing is impossible.

It is Kashyap’s resolute willpower that has propelled him to glory by overcoming the affliction that he has suffered due to his asthama condition, which at one stage was considered career-threating. It is Kashyap’s sheer grit that impelled him to go beyond the limitations of the body to always give his best even at times when the spotlight is on other heavyweights. And it is Kashyap’s never-say-die attitude that gave him the strength to rise like a phoenix and break his ‘finals’ jinx only to better it with an eminent Gold medal.

Kashyap was and will never be in this for personal glory. I guess he was just a scrawny kid with severe asthama trying to figure out how to serve India in the best possible manner. He must have picked up a badminton racquet and started hitting the bird with such majestic brilliance that someone somewhere saw a spark of virtuosity and persuaded him to pursue it further. He started and has never looked back ever since. And for India’s perquisite, I hope he never does!