Journalism of Courage
Verma brothers Sourabh and Sameer face off against each other with the elder boy prevailing
Sourabh Verma,Indias number 1 badminton player,is known for his ferocity in finishing off points with his venomous smashes. In his semifinal match on Tuesday,however,he was a bit withdrawn in his approach. He won the encounter in straight sets,but was gingerly tapping the shuttle over the net when he could have resorted to his usual smash. He got the same result,but with half the intensity. It was,after all,his own brother at the receiving end. In their first competitive match against each other,Verma senior was dictating most of the play but involuntarily decreased the force of his strokes.
I went in for the smash for all the opportunities I got but I just couldn’t. I don’t know why,but there was a feeling from within and I just couldn’t do it, said 20-year-old Sourabh.
Sameer the younger Verma was,on the other hand,playing a game that was carefree bordering on irresponsible. He was going for every shot that his brother was giving him the opportunity to smash and explored the range of his game with some tricky drops and disguised smashes few of which actually came off. While his unforced errors were piling up,he conceded a lead in the middle of the first game and went on to lose it 12-21. The second game saw him start well initially and the scores were level at 10-10 at one stage but immaturity got the better of the 17-year-old as he went down 15-21 in the final game. Self-admittedly,Sourabh had to restrain himself from correcting his sibling’s errors during the match as he does so often in practice.
It doesn’t look good to correct him during the match in a tournament,like I do in practice, he said. And he corrects him whenever he gets the opportunity to in practice. The badminton brothers started playing at the same time,but in different age-groups. They have practiced together for most of their career and Sourabh has pointed out his brother’s mistakes whenever he got the chance. I always try and tell him what he is doing wrong when I play with him and I have been doing so for a long time, he said. The interference of the older brother,however,is present only on the badminton court. While at his home in Dhar,Sameer would run to his mother to complain about his big brother’s incessant teasing,Sourabh has encouraged him to lead an individual life in the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad and doesn’t intervene like a dutiful elder brother. It is better this way. I don’t have to worry about him and I can focus on my career and he can also live his own life, he said.
This has been working well for the youngster as he has had a good career so far. The number one in the junior category till recently,he has won the national single’s title in all age-groups up to the under-19 level and already has a bronze and a silver in the sub-junior and junior Asian Badminton Championships respectively. And he has a bright future in the sport,according to Saurabh.
He has been doing much better than I did in the juniors. He is definitely better than me, he said. Sameer hasn’t yet been able to beat him in practice or competitively,but that day is not far away,according to Saurabh.
