India shuttler Srikanth says winning season-ending Super Series event in the Gulf is more important than striving for the World No. 1 spot
Kidambi Srikanth gets a rousing welcome by budding shutters at Cricket Club of India on Saturday. Pic/Bipin Kokate
Ace India shuttler Kidambi Srikanth said he is fully fit and his target is to perform well at the season-ending Dubai World Super Series Finals starting December 13 rather than becoming the World No. 1. Srikanth, 24, skipped the China and Hong Kong Opens due to a thigh muscle strain, which he suffered after the Nationals in Nagpur last month.
He lost to HS Prannoy 21-15, 16-21, 21-7 in the final.
Kidambi Srikanth gets a rousing welcome by budding shutters at Cricket Club of India on Saturday. Pic/Bipin Kokate
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"After my injury in the Nationals, I had to skipthe China and Hong Kong Opens, but now I am feeling good. My body has recovered and I am looking forward to Dubai next week," said Srikanth, who was conferred honorary membership of the Cricket Club of India on Saturday. Srikanth, the current World No. 4, has had a stellar season so far, winning four Super Series titles - Indonesia, Australia, Denmark and France.
Talking about becoming World No. 1, he said, "It’s more important to win the Super Series finals [in Dubai]. I am not thinking about being No. 1. If I win in Dubai, I can definitely be World No. 1," he said. Srikanth and PV Sindhu are the only two Indians who managed to qualify for the Dubai Open.
"The last six to eight months have been really fantastic for me, so I really want to do well in Dubai and end the year on a high note," added Srikanth, who felt the new service rule in which the shuttle should be below 1.15m from the surface of the court at the instance of being hit by the server’s racquet, would be challenging for the players.
Praising coach Mulyo Handoyo, who is best known for coaching Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat, Srikanth said it’s a privilege to train under him.
"He [Mulyo] is someone who has so much of experience. To train under an experienced coach like him is definitely a big advantage and it showed in the results I got this year," Srikanth concluded.
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