Manoj Sarkar has a simple philosophy. When he goes out on court, he likes to have a clear mind. Leave everything behind and focus on the job in hand.
“Before you go to play, leave everything to the umpire,” said Sarkar in a conversation with Scroll. “My job is to just play. I just go out and play. It is up to the umpire to decide who the winner is.
“When you go out to win, you fear losing. This fear defeats you. So you don’t go out to win or lose. You just go out to play your best. If you are the better player, you’ll win.”
It is this exact mindset which helped Sarkar win a bronze medal in badminton men’s singles SL3 at the delayed Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
Having lost to eventual silver medallist David Bethell in the semi-finals, the Indian then went on to beat Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara in the bronze medal match to secure his spot on the podium.
As he eyes a second consecutive podium at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Sarkar said he often looks back on his exploits in Tokyo.
“I 100% think about that medal for motivation,” said Sarkar. “The reason for it is the colour of the medal being bronze. I get the motivation to change the colour of the medal [when I compete in Paris].”
A lot has changed since the delayed Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Para sports in itself has gained widespread recognition in India and so has the competitiveness. Badminton being introduced at the quadrennial event for the first time in 2021 has also increased the number of participants in the sport.
“There was a time when there were hardly 200 players in India, but now after para badminton was introduced in Paralympics, we have at least 600 players minimum,” said Sarkar. “I have been playing since 2011 but after the Tokyo Paralympics, the level number of players has almost tripled.”
The Paris Games also puts a renewed focus on Sarkar with his compatriot and reigning men’s SL3 Olympic champion Pramod Bhagat not in contention following three doping whereabouts failure ahead of the Paralympics.
“I do not want the expectations to play on my mind,” said Sarkar. “If I think a lot about expectations, I will either be very hopeless or be very scared of losing. It is better that I just go out there and replicate whatever I worked on during my practice sessions on court.”
Even with the Paralympics just days away, there is no tapering off period in sight for Sarkar. Working under the tutelage of national coach Gaurav Khanna in Lucknow, preparations are in full swing for the shuttler. He trains for almost four hours in the morning followed by a break and an analysis session. Evenings for Sarkar include light gym work, skills and game sessions.
“The plan is simple…kum khelo par quality khelo. Play less but play good quality games,” said Sarkar. “We focus on game strategy, video analysis to try and strengthen your weakness, and also focus on remaining injury free and recovering faster.
“When you are young, your injury recovery is rapid. After a certain age, you might have everything – good stamina, speed, power, mentally you’ll be more mature. But the only problem is that you need more time for recovery.”
But the fact that the athletes have been provided with professional physiotherapists, unlike before the Tokyo Paralympics, means that 34-year-old Sarkar is in good stead when it comes to maintaining his body.
Add to it that, the Paris-bound players have been able to procure shuttles that will be used at the Paralympics, to train with.
“Back then [Tokyo Paralympics] we could not get hands on the shuttles which were used during the Games because it was not available in India,” said Sarkar. “This time around we managed to get around 20 boxes, which five-six of us pooled in to pay for.”
Sarkar, who started playing badminton as a five-year-old was only introduced to the world of para badminton in 2010 by coach DK Sen – the father of Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen.
In almost a decade and a half since then, the shuttler from Uttarakhand has established himself as one of the best para-shuttlers in the country. He is a former world No 1 and has won ten medals at the World Championships and three medals at the Asian Para Games.
But for Sarkar, a Paralympics gold remains elusive.
“I always think about what if badminton was at Paralympics earlier,” he said. “Maybe I might already have a gold or two in my kitty. But whatever happens, happens for good. Maybe this is the right time.”
His motto, though, remains the same – Do your best and leave the rest.
