Paris Olympics: India’s number one women’s badminton duo started playing together a year ago and have developed a formidable partnership on the court. They talk about their training and mindset for the Games and how the challenges they’ve faced have made them tougher — as individuals and as athletes.
Tell us about your preparation—mental, physical, emotional—and your training schedule for the Paris Olympics.
Tanisha Crosto: Our preparations are going well for Paris Olympics. We are focused and disciplined, and spend our energy wisely on recovery, diet and rest. We avoid any confusion. Our training schedule is very busy – our day starts at 5pm and our last session ends at 6.30pm. We come up with different training programs, so it’s a lot of fun. We also look at our matches and analyze our strong points as well as go back to where we need to work.
Ashwini Ponnappa: Being a badminton player or athlete means discipline goes hand in hand. Discipline will get you to the top. And discipline isn’t just about being on time and getting things done… it’s a whole big package of everything you need to do to do well. And as you get older, you realize that being disciplined is even more important… even in how you eat, how you warm up, how you cool down, and how you take care of your body. Discipline is indispensable to get to the top. We have a break for a few days before we start our training in full swing. Our coaches have designed a schedule for us. For physical training, both of us are working with our own strength coaches.
You partnered a year ago and made it to the Paris Olympics. How did this partnership happen?
Crasto: We were paired last January. We ate together and then decided to play together. We wanted to play with each other. Our first tournament as a partner was in Indonesia which was the Super 500 and we performed well there… we reached the quarter finals. We gained more confidence, and our hopes grew with each tournament. We worked really hard, focused and enjoyed every match and tournament.
Ponnappa: In women’s doubles it is important that both players want to play together. Tanisha and I went to lunch once, and we decided we’d play each other. We believe we will do well as a partnership. Before that, though, our coaches suggested that we play together, but for me, at that time, I needed a break from women’s doubles. I wanted to be sure of the direction I wanted to go. The break helped me gain clarity. But I feel for Tanisha and me, it’s a journey that started quite late because Olympic qualification started in 2023 and we started our partnership last year as well. At the time, the Paris Olympics seemed really far away for us as a couple. But the good thing is that we gradually got better, and with each experience – whether we won tournaments or performed well – the dream of making it to the Paris Olympics seemed more likely. And we managed to cut.
What challenges do you face?
Crasto: We played many tournaments without a coach and physio and at our expense. It was more of a learning opportunity than a challenge, as it helped us become stronger in every aspect. Now things seem simple to us.
Ponnappa: Early on, when we started playing, we played on our own… at our own expense. I have been part of the Indian team for a long time and it was a different [feeling] to not be part of the team. I felt that I should be able to bet on myself and our partnership. It made us stronger because we could go to tournaments on our own and play on our own—without a coach, a physio, managing our bodies on our own. Now that we are a part of the team, we are much more grateful for everything that comes our way.
How many sponsors will support you personally? Do you think more corporates can come forward and support badminton to the Paris Olympics?
Crasto: I have two or three sponsors, and I think more corporates and organizations should come forward to support badminton to the Paris Olympics. We have amazing budding talent in Badminton in India… We have many talented players with potential to bring medals for our country, but due to financial loss we are not capable to go to the next level.
Ponnappa: Sponsors are very few. I am very fortunate to have worked at ONGC—they have been my biggest supporters since the beginning. I have had the privilege of being with Victor and being a Red Bull athlete for over a decade. Sponsors do not come forward much and even if they do, they support very few athletes.