However , things rarely go as per our plans . On a fateful night , in 1996 , Indrajit met with an unfortunate accident while travelling from Puri to Kolkata . “ Having driven overnight , I was drowsy and my car collided with a passing vehicle . As my hand was on the window , it took the maximum impact ,” explains Indrajit . His playing hand was hit by a tanker during the accident , cracking his bone into pieces . As doctors tried hard to help him regain consciousness and save his hand , Indrajit knew that life would never be the same again .
The accident put Indrajit out of action for years , ending an array of possibilities for him in the sport . Forced to keep away from something that meant so much to him , Indrajit had to endure the pain of the loss for over 6 years . “ I started playing again in 2002 with my other hand . Of course things were never the same . It was like starting from scratch again ,” he says .
It has been 22 years since Indrajit stopped playing badminton at a professional level . A lot of things have changed since then . Badminton as a sport has now acquired tremendous popularity across the country . The rise of Indian shuttlers at international events has sparked a fire among budding players to compete for the top spots . The sport today gets a huge viewership and its popularity makes many think its second only to cricket .
India now has numerous players who are performing exceptionally at the
International level . Indian shuttlers including Saina Nehwal and P . V . Sindhu have brought laurels to the country by winning medals at the Olympics .
Among this emerging breed of superstars is another name , that of Indrajit ’ s daughter Riya Mookerjee . Some credit for this goes to the efforts of the doting father Indrajit , who dedicated all his energy towards training and mentoring his daughter after his accident .
“ I could not achieve what I dreamt of doing . I wanted my daughter to achieve those heights which I had hoped to achieve ,” says the proud father . The hard work of the father-daughter duo bore fruit as Riya slowly rose up the ranks and is currently among the top 10 players in the Women ’ s Singles rankings by Badminton Association of India .
A regular in the news pertaining to India ’ s emerging badminton scene , Riya ’ s journey has been one of extreme focus and determination . “ You can watch videos of players as finished products performing on the courts . You don ’ t see videos of the dark days , when they train , struggle and get moulded into what they eventually become .”
At the age of 19 , Riya ’ s life is unlike any other teenager . She wakes up in the wee hours of the morning , followed by a practice routine of close to 10 hours per day . Her practice schedule is divided into
3 shifts , the brief intermissions being used for rest and recovery . She is on a strict diet and has to abstain completely from sweets and confectionaries . She has limited time for entertainment and has to focus completely on her game .
The journey is really very tough but as the saying goes , “ When the going gets tough , the tough get going .”
In order to keep her focused , Indrajit and his wife too follow similar diets , a small sacrifice which they feel will help her career .
What is lesser known about Riya is that apart from being such a great badminton player , she is also an outstanding student . With limited time in hand for studies , Riya still managed to score over 80 % in both her Xth and XIIth ICSE Board Examinations . She is currently pursuing her B . Com degree .
While Indrajit is proud of Riya ’ s achievements , he wishes for a system where players can completely devote themselves to the sport . He feels that in case you don ’ t make it on the international stage , there are limited options for earning a good livelihood .
“ Either you win or you fail . There is no middle ground .” he says . He feels that investing your career in sports is like a gamble , whereas it should be a promising and viable career option instead .
Currently in Hyderabad , he feels India has a very promising future in badminton . He credits HPCL for the support extended to him , especially during the most difficult phases of his life .
“ Me , S . Ramaswamy and Arup Basak joined HPCL as sportsmen . I have fond memories of the times dedicated to the sport . I will be happy to help and advise any youngster seeking guidance in badminton .”
Abhisar Pallav Gaur Executive - PRCC
ISSUE 1 2018 15