SPORTS
Though he is now World No. 1 in junior badminton rankings, 17-year-old Aditya Joshi knows it will be not be easy in the coming days. This year will be his last in junior circuit. He is hopeful of cashing in on the latest status and excel in the tournaments that he gets to play, the next immediate being the India Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow from January 21 to 26.
“It feels great to be world No. 1 in my age group. It also gives me a lot of motivation. Being World No. 1 means a lot to me, that I am the best among all other shuttlers in the world. At the same time, it puts me under pressure to perform,” Aditya told dna from Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, where he trains with his father, Atul Kumar Joshi, a badminton coach at the Sports Authority of India.
The B. Com first year student is not one to sit on his laurels. “No break for the time being,” he said.
“I’m at home training with my father and preparing for the tournaments ahead. My plan is to keep performing well this year and continue the same when I get into the seniors in 2015,” Joshi said.
Doing well in the Asia Youth U-19 Championships in Taipei next month and in the World Junior Championships in Malaysia in April are among his main targets for the year.
Joshi has also trained at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bangalore since April 2010. PPBA’s chief coach Vimal Kumar said: “Aditya is one of the most promising players. He has the potential to be in the top 20 in the world in the next two years. That should be his priority. He has been making good progress. But he needs to work on a fe w things. He gets nervous after taking a big lead and fumbles in the closing stages. Also, if he can become stronger for his 6-foot height, he will be a name to reckon with in the future.”
Atul Kumar seconded Vimal about his son’s temperament. “He tends to relax after taking the lead and thinks that the match is already won. We need to correct this,” he said adding that he is pleased with the opportunities his son is getting to play in India and at the international levels.
Aditya, who began playing badminton at the age of five in Dehradun, has been honing his skills in Dhar for last nine years. He said he benefitted from the PPBA, where he was taken on scholarship. “PPBA has helped me improve my speed. I have no plans to go back to PPBA, though, and will train with my father,” said Aditya before cutting short the telephonic conversation and heading for practice session.
JOSHI’S ACHIEVEMENTS
U-16 Boys Singles Nationals title, Hyderabad, 2010
U-15 Boys Singles Bronze in Badminton Asia Confederation Youth Championships, 2010
U-17 Boys Singles Bronze in Badminton Asia Confederation Youth Championships, 2011
U-17 Boys Singles Silver in Junior National Championships, Jaipur, 2011
Boys Doubles title in Ramenskoe Junior Tournament 2011, Russia
U-17 Boys Singles National title, Imphal, 2012
U-19 Boys Singles Silver in Junior National Championships, Imphal, 2012
Gold in men’s singles and men’s doubles in Sushant Chipalkatti Memorial India Junior International Badminton Championships 2013, Pune
U-19 Boys Singles National title, Chandigarh, 2013.
All set for vote counting in Jharkhand tomorrow; NDA, JMM-led alliances confident of winning
Watch: Australia star inquires Rishabh Pant about his next IPL team, gets 2-word reply
Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat was first offered to his industry rival…, but he refused because...
The Visionary Who Promises a Blue Sky for India: Holger Thorsten Schubart’s G20 Climate Speech
The Surge of High-End Living: Luxury Residential Market to Outpace Other Segments
FeFCon 2024 to be Held in Bangalore: A Premier Event on Fever Management
'That’s wild': Noida man turns cigarette butts into teddy bears in viral video, watch
London Airport evacuates passengers over security threat, thousands stranded
The World’s First Innovative Iron Supplement to Combat Iron Deficiency and Anaemia
Meet grandmother who became fashion icon after trying on her granddaughter’s clothes
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elite WTC list, becomes 3rd Indian to...
'All scripted drama...': Puneet Superstar allegedly assaulted by influencers in viral video, watch
Actress Ana de Armas caught kissing Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s son in viral photos
Oreshnik's Shadow: Will Russia's hypersonic missile force west to back down?
‘You’re So Beautiful’: World’s tallest woman meets world’s shortest woman over tea, pics go viral
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Consequences of GRAP-4 are drastic, may have adverse effects, says SC
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Schools likely to stay closed till..., check city-wise update
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
THIS farm is selling a cup of coffee for Rs 28000, but there's a twist, it is...
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
Somebody misbehaved with Alia Bhatt on Highway sets then Imtiaz Ali had to...
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals twist behind Rs 200000 job fee, closes application window
Days after Ratan Tata's demise, Tata Group's Rs 131000 crore company inks pact with ADB for...
WATCH: Woman makes Biryani with Parle-G biscuits, viral video fumes internet
Only train in India in which passengers can travel for FREE; check route, timings and more
'Justice for biryani': Parle-G biryani takes internet by storm, video goes viral
DNA TV Show: Why Gautam Adani charged with bribery and fraud in US
IND vs AUS: Records Virat Kohli can break during Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Diljit Dosanjh fans get angry over Ananya Panday's birthday post for her grandmother, here's why