Q. What changes have you brought to your game in the past few years, physically, mentally and in terms of technique?
I have not really done anything drastic, I just kept working hard, kept believing in myself and kept pushing myself. It definitely takes time for every player to come back after an injury, but it is important how motivated you are and how hungry you are for success. And that is what I will do in the future as well.
Q. There were reports that during the Thomas Cup all players used to have regular meetings, without coaches.
It was a group call and we thought that it would really help us bond and come together as a team. We had team meetings before and after every match. The coaches and the support staff were happy that we were doing team meetings. We used to have meetings with coaches and also for players. It was important that everyone could say how they felt and it helped everyone.
Q. How much bonding was there between the players? In the past, there have been rumours about friction between players training in Bengaluru and those in Hyderabad.
I don’t think there was any issue, and all of us really bonded well. We were together throughout the tournament and we played as a team and that was the only reason we won. And we really pushed each other, motivated each other and stayed positive. There was absolutely no friction.
Q. Did you feel that Indian badminton, or at least the coverage of it, was focused, fairly or unfairly, on female shuttlers? Will this win address the issue?
We cannot take anything away from female players because Saina [Nehwal] and [P.V.] Sindhu have done really well. Whenever a male player did well, he got media coverage. So, I really don’t want to complain. Since we have won a team event, and that, too, something like the Thomas Cup, [we will be in the limelight] and we will be there in history as the first-ever team to win the trophy for India. So I am happy and I don’t have any complaints.
Q. What do you think this Indian team has that the past ones did not have?
I don’t really know. Maybe the team spirit we showed throughout the tournament is the big difference between this team and others. And also the way we came together as a team and the way we motivated, inspired and supported each other made the difference.