Recently crowned U-19 junior all-India women’s singles champion, Lucknow-based Amolika Singh Sisodiya (16) is the latest among the stars of Indian badminton who against all the odds have checked Chinese domination of this fast-paced racquet game which requires fast-response reflexes and deep reserves of stamina. Since she started playing in 2010, this 5 ft 10 inches tall class XII (science) student of the city’s CBSE-affiliated The Avadh School (TAS) has participated in over 150 tournaments including the OUE Singapore International Series and Jakarta Open International Junior Championship.

The younger child of state government employee Laxman Singh and homemaker Sushma, Amolika took to the bird after attending a summer camp at the city’s Babu Banarsi Das Badminton Academy when she was ten years old. Encouraged by her coach Ravinder Singh to compete in district-level tournaments, she slowly graduated to state, national and international championships. 

Developing her game hasn’t come without disruptions with Amolika being forced to change schools in class VII. “Given the limited participation in tournaments as was the policy followed in City Montessori, my old school, the cracks in my game were beginning to show. But after moving to TAS, I realised how much sports education is valued in modern, progressive schools,” she recalls.

On a typical day, Amolika’s life begins at the crack of dawn with a daily regimen of four on and off-court practice workouts with each session lasting 90 minutes. The rest of her waking hours are spent completing school work and reading the occasional book. “Now that I have the whole-hearted support of my parents, coaches and school, my only concern is finding a sponsor,” she says.

Although currently focused on clearing her class XII board exams scheduled for March 2018, Amolika has her eyes set on winning an Olympic gold. “Right now I am training to win the forthcoming U-19 senior nationals and will continue to play women’s national and international tournaments to raise my game to international standards,” she says grittily.

Power to your racquet!

Puja Awasthi (Lucknow)