Prakash Padukone retired from badminton a year before the game was introduced in Olympics in 1992. He is sure of a good show by Indian shuttlers in London. Catches up with the former star, who turns 57 today. Excerpts:

‘Saina is good enough for an Olympic medal’

Prakash Padukone retired from badminton a year before the game was introduced in Olympics in 1992. He is sure of a good show by Indian shuttlers in London. Catches up with the former star, who turns 57 today. Excerpts:

What are India’s chances in London? I am sure it’d be better than all these years. The government and SAI have spent a lot of money. So have the NGOs like Olympic Gold Quest and Mittal Champions Trust. Players have also worked very hard. I think they have got almost whatever they wanted, whether it’s foreign coach, international exposure or foreign training. Saina is definitely the best bet in the women’s singles. We have an outside chance in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles as well. On the whole, the preparations have gone better this time and I am very confident that they will definitely improve the overall performances. Given her recent performances, is Saina good enough to win an Olympic gold? She is definitely good enough. She has beaten some of the good players in the past but the difference at the top is so very little that it is important you peak at the right time. That particular week (July 28 to August 5 in London) you have to be at your best. While I think it’s possible, it will not be easy. She must ensure that she peaks during that week. What should Saina do to conquer the Chinese? She just needs to have self belief. Just as they (Chinese) know her game, she also knows their game. She has to be positive, believe that you have done it in the past and can do it again. Saina, sure, has won a few Super Series but falls short in bigger tournaments. She should not think too much about the Olympics. She should just treat the Olympics like another Super Series event and go and play like it is not an Olympics and without the ‘I have to win the gold’ approach. If you keep thinking too much about winning the medal, it is going to be hard. If she can win the Super Series where all the top players have played, there is no reason why she can‘t win an Olympics gold. It is just the mindset and the way you approach. Are you pleased with the qualification rules? Taufik Hidayat wanted some changes in them. There will always be individuals who will not be happy. But overall I am happy with the qualification system. In Olympics, there is always the restriction on the numbers, you have to juggle with it. This is not only true with badminton. It happens in all other disciplines as well. China may have the best four players but may not be able to field all the four. Same with US athletics team, if it is four of them, or whatever the number specified, others have to go out. It is up to each individual to make the best use of the numbers available to them. While there is, of course, scope for improvement, all the federations put down the qualification process well in advance so there is no question of favouritism. Everybody is aware what the qualification processes are and what they need to do. That way, it is fair. Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had to wait for rankings list to know their Olympic qualification. Would they be fully prepared? They qualified in April but had to wait for all the qualifying tournaments to get over. Saina was the only one who was sure. Having qualified, they have three months to prepare. They should not be satisfied by just qualifying. Qualification is the first step. Once you have done that, one should aim for a medal, most specifically gold, if possible. Where is Indian badminton at the moment? It is going in the right direction. I think a lot of changes have happened, some good players are coming up, the game is growing, some youngsters are really doing well. Indian badminton is moving up. With a little more support and professional approach from the federation, we can make best use of the talent available. Do you regret not playing in the Olympics? I have no regrets absolutely. I’ve never regretted anything. There is more money now, more rewards and more awards. Whatever has happened has happened. I loved the sport, I played the sport without expecting anything in return, whatever I got was bonus. If it (badminton in Olympics during his career) was there, I would have played. You can’t do anything about it.