Anmol Kharb is brave and intelligent: Pullela Gopichand
Anmol Kharb is a fearless and intelligent player and her emergence is refreshing for Indian badminton, gushed chief National coach Pullela Gopichand after the teenager's impressive show at the Asia Team Championships. The 17-year-old from Faridabad humbled world number 29 Natsuki Nidaira in the deciding fifth match against Japan, a win that carried India into first-ever final in the prestigious tournament.
Anmol, who won the senior national champion in December 2023, had also notched up a thrilling three-game win over China's Wu Luo Yu on Wednesday in their group match.
This is her first major international assignment.
«I think the result of the two matches is a testimony that she can beat top players. To take the pressure on and show that kind of nerve, it is very refreshing. She is fearless. The kind of strokes that she plays, it all come naturally to her,» Gopichand told PTI.
«She is reading the game well, you can see her intelligence. She played beautifully. Of course, opponents will read her game in time and that's where she needs to rework on her mistakes but she has been phenomenal.
»She fought really well and she is naturally brave and intelligent."
Indian women team had a phenomenal run this week, defeating China, Hong Kong and Japan to enter their first-ever final and Gopichand was also gung ho about the performance in the Continental championship.
«To beat China and Japan, I don't think many teams can say that, so really happy. There is great energy in the dug out and it showed literally during the
