Mumbai, Peekay & badminton in between
Multiple world champion Cai Yun, 35, with a fan in Mumbai on Saturday. (Source: Express photo)
One of the biggest attractions for Chinese multiple World Champion and London Olympic men’s doubles champion Cai Yun to travel to India for the Premier Badminton League – apart from the fat pay cheque — was the chance to travel to Mumbai.
So, when he was snapped up by Awadhe Warriors and checked the schedule that put the opener in India’s western metropolis, he wore a gleeful smile.
Mumbai was where “India’s big movie industry was” (He spread his hands wide apart in wonderment to show how big). It’s where PeeKay (Xia Mi in Chinese) — the elf-eared alien came from. Having been charmed by the Aamir Khan release when it first hit Chinese theatres, 35-year-old Cai Yun knew he wanted to see just what Mumbai was all about.
Combining with Hendra Gunawan, the four-time world champ who’s now latent internationally and spends his downtime following football and watching rewinds of Argentina’s Batistuta matches, Cai started with a loss in their trump card match of the PBL for the Lucknow team, but had a chuckle and hand around the shoulder to offer his similarly retired Indonesian team-mate. “I’d only been to Hyderabad before this, I wanted to see what Mumbai is, and see some of India’s movie stars,” he said, of his maiden visit to the city.
London Games was a culmination of an immensely successful career where he dominated the men’s doubles scene for years alongside Fu Haifeng (three years his junior) — who continues to carry on. “Not really in touch with him now, badminton was a passion and winning was like work for me. We are OK friends (him and Haifeng), not best friends. But he’s still China’s best player on circuit,” he said, through a translator.
“I had been playing for so long, working so hard that I wanted to win London gold badly,” he says, recalling the emotional win over Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen that topped his 2011-12 golden years. Incidentally Boe was across the net on Saturday exacting revenge on a smaller stage. Coming from shuttle’s massive powerhouse, Cai Yun belonged to the all-conquering era where China would often line up in contention for all medals on offer — singles and doubles.
“We’ve dominated for very long. So it’s inevitable that there’ll be a slight dip now. But we’ll come back,” he says.
Calling Chen Long — title favourite for Rio and China’s still-dominant star — Cai says there was also silent admiration for Lee Chong Wei in his country. “I like Lee Chong Wei. We like fighters,” he said.
That acknowledgement also gets extended to India’s leading player K Srikanth. “I think he is good. And it was wonderful for an Indian to beat Lin Dan in China. We knew then that we should keep an eye on him. His pace and speed is really good,” he said.
His advice for India’s doubles pairings which have remained lightweights on the biggest stage is: “India need to urgently address the need to increase speed and power in its pairings. They have the technique, but lack these and it’ll only come with hardwork.”
In the same team as Saina Nehwal, Cai Yun admires her achievements and says she’s close to winning the major titles. “It’s like Lee Chong Wei. She has everything in her game but needs to show a stronger heart than she already does in long crucial matches,” he says pointing the index finger at his heart and pumping his fist.
He sees Sindhu as “the very tall Indian player” who has decent speed but will take time to get top-grade agility that’s needed to stay consistent.
Surprised by the following that badminton has in India — witnessed on Day 1 of the league — he says incredulously: “So many people here for badminton!” India’s pleasantly surprised him, though he wonders aloud why Indians need to go overboard with their condiments in food. “I understand garlic for one day. Two days. But everyday?” he laughs. “Too hot for me,” he declares.
