Quitting is the easiest thing in sports. Most players, who decide to end their careers prematurely, feel liberated from the burden of expectations and slip into a life of normalcy, devoid of affliction and sacrifices.
In 2019, Arathi Sara Sunil could have quit. Her career as a gifted badminton player had been abruptly halted by a fracture, sidelining her for a year. Soon a viral wave of COVID-19 disruption hit the world. Meantime, she found a job in the Income Tax Department. For most people, these events that happened by sheer order of coincidence might have served as an indicator that it was time to move on.
Arathi, though, interpreted the signals differently. “I always had a feeling that I'm not done. I knew I still had something more to do. I had stepped into the elite level. I was playing at my best and was beginning to get a hang of it when I got injured,” she says.
Fast forward to July 2024. Arathi and her partner Varshini VS sit on top of the women’s doubles rankings of the Badminton Association of India (players who compete in the national circuit). The partnership that began in January reached the finals in four national ranking events, winning two and claiming silver in the others. The most recent success came in the VV Natu Memorial senior national ranking event in Pune. The duo also clinched a bronze in the Dutch Open International in March. “I was determined that I should dictate my career because if you lose the drive, it's over,” says Arathi, who turns 30 in October.
Rewind to 2020. Arathi was prepared to restart training, but the conditions were not favourable. She had shifted her base to Kochi, where her career began as a singles player. As a teenager, Arathi found success in the state and national circuit. Later, she found her niche in doubles and earned a place in the national camp. Arathi was part of the Indian team, which clinched a historic bronze in the Uber Cup in 2014. Alongside PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, she was also a member of the Asian Games squad in 2018.
All that seemed a long time ago when Arathi returned to the Regional Sports Centre in Kochi. It wasn't anything like the badminton hub of Hyderabad where the nation's best train, under the tutelage of Pullela Gopichand. “I trained with junior boys here, but they didn't know how to feed (the shuttle) and I had to teach them,” Arathi recalls. She also struggled to find partners; the experienced and better ones had moved on when she was out of the game, and those still available were sceptical.
But she got lucky in the coaching department.
The coach: Joy T Antony
Joy was a remarkable singles player, who also dabbled in doubles later on. He was a strong presence in the national circuit for several years and continues to participate in the Masters category. He's also one of the most sought-after coaches in Kerala. When Arathi reached out to him in her pursuit to return to the levels she once achieved, Joy was excited.
“I was always confident about Arathi because she is 100 per cent dedicated. She always puts in her best every session. But I told her that she would hit a lot of hurdles because we were restarting at level zero,” says the Olympic Gold Quest-trained coach.
But despite his wealth of experience as a player, Joy knew he had to upgrade. “My concern was how to get her the quality training in Kochi that national campers get. It was a herculean task to provide that level of stroke practice and planning. I had to teach myself, to find the best high-level training a player of Arathi's level required.”
There were logistical problems too because the COVID-19 lockdown was in force and getting regular training for Arathi, and finding quality sparring partners for her, posed a challenge. Joy persisted and found a way out each time. He even convinced his good friend and one of Kerala's finest doubles players, Sanave Thomas, to train with Arathi. “With Joy chettan, you can always speak freely. I can tell him what my requirements are and he is open to suggestions,” says Arathi. “I have faith in her,” Joy says.
Slowly, Arathi got back into the groove, but there was another problem: Finding a suitable partner. She gave it a try with a few budding players but that seemed futile. For the first time, Arathi felt like accepting her fate. “In 2023, it was tough and I thought of winding up. I decided to continue till 2024 to see if I can find a good partner, and Varshini was my last resort.”
The partner: Varshini
Arathi holds Prajakta Sawant in high esteem. The former national champion had a transformative effect on Arathi in her early days as a doubles player. “I've never played with a finer doubles partner. She gave me a break,” Arathi recalls. The duo had a successful run for a while, winning Bangladesh and Bahrain internationals. Arathi says she learnt a lot from Sawant. Arathi also had other memorable partnerships, notably with Sikki Reddy and Rutaparna Panda. They were mostly contemporaries.
But Varshini was different. Only 21, she is yet to unlock her true potential. She also had a memorable run with Treesa Jolly, one of Kerala's leading players. Varshini is a half-Malayali based in Coimbatore. Initially, she turned down Arathi's request to play together, but once she got to know her better a partnership emerged.
“Before every tournament, I go train with Arathi in Kochi. I stay at her place and we have a very good rapport,” Varshini says. Arathi prefers to call it 'synergy'. “There is a lot I have learned from her, even simple things like how to receive a shuttle,” says Varshini. “We compliment each other so well on the court,” Arathi adds.
One of the factors that helps this partnership tick is perhaps the balance between Arathi's methodical approach and Varshini's progressive game. “My mental state is different from what it was when I began my career. The application of the mind is much better now. Over time I have learned 'what not to do',” Arathi says.
Varshini aims to break into the top 50 in world rankings by early next year. Given her age and experience, Arathi only entertains short-term goals. “Now I have a three-month plan and then I'll pick it from there. I keep my options open and prefer to take one step at a time,” says Arathi. The duo is preparing for the Sydney International in October.
