NAVELIM: Veterans’ sport is an essential aspect in order to maintain a fitness-centric approach for life! As such, various sports disciplines have dedicated events for this 35-plus age-group section of the society, all over the country. With regards to badminton, Goa has shown a healthy growth in the number of ‘Masters’ players, says Sports Authority of Goa’s (SAG) badminton coach Vinayak Kamat, who is very happy with the successful organisation of 8-day All-India Masters Ranking Badminton Championships at Manohar Parrikar indoor stadium here in South Goa.
Coming after a long gap due to the pandemic, the ‘Masters’ national competition in Goa, saw a whopping participation of over one thousand shuttlers from Kashmir to Tamil Nadu. Also in a classic case of sports tourism boosting the local economy after a disastrous Covid-19 period where there was hardly any occupancy for over a year as public events were banned; as many as seven hotels were booked in the Rawanfond-Khareband area for travellers’ accommodation by the organisers Goa Badminton Association under the aegis of Badminton Association of India.
“It was a challenging exercise, but undoubtedly very satisfying to see how smoothly – all permissions, bookings, Covid-19 protocols, compliances; have been executed and adhered too,” Kamat told www.livenewsgoa.com. He also hailed the players for being very cooperative with the SOPs.
Goa has very good indoor facilities as well as outdoor courts all over the state and a lot of people enjoy the sport of badminton in cities as well as rural areas. As such, it is a common sight to see veterans regularly playing badminton.
Kamat, who has been pillar of strength in Goan badminton coaching department of SAG since last 17 years, feels happy that many seniors are realising their ability and joining the Masters community. He pointed out how Dr Satish Kudchadkar, who is now a regular national medallist for Goa, had to be forced to play at the all-India event few years back in Coimbatore and returned with a medal on his debut.
“Once the players realise their ability, they get confident to play in the National masters circuit. Look at the case of Dr Kudchadkar, who played superbly at a senior citizen event in Margao. I then convinced him to enter the national masters fray and rest is history,” remarked Kamat.
Yet, more awareness seems to be required to send out the message to all Goan veterans in particular, about a stage that caters for their passion for badminton in this case. “Keep practicing at least thrice a week. Pay attention to the recovery pattern of the body. Analyse your games and go for quality rather than quantity. In order to assess your ability, take part in tournaments,” this is the advice to veterans from Kamat, who emphasised on rest periods so that the body makes full recovery – a crucial aspect to build fitness.
Under the guidance of Kamat, Goan players underwent a 10-day camp before the start of All-India Masters Ranking Badminton Championships. “As a result, Goan players have done well and many have qualified for World Seniors Championships Spain 2021. These are the players who have been playing badminton regularly over many years. They have great experience and what I did at the camp, was emphasising the finer points. With whatever little we did at the camp, I feel we have achieved more than expected and I am delighted with the overall performance of Team Goa!,” asserted Kamat, who believes a few reforms like restricting former national champions and having state tourneys at lesser intervals; can be brought in to boost the Masters circuit.
