Shaina’s golden rise signals new chapter for Karnataka badminton

Shaina Manimuthu says representing the country is a proud moment and winning for it is even better, after returning with gold from China

Bengaluru: There have been several elite badminton players from Karnataka who have brought laurels to the country. On 26 October, Shaina Manimuthu joined that distinguished list when she clinched the Under-15 title against Japan’s Chiharu Tomita at the Asia Championships in Chengdu, China. 

The daughter of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Head Constable, the young shuttler said she first began playing badminton with her father, who is also a passionate player. “I started playing badminton because of my dad.

I used to see him playing, so I got interested when I was about six or seven years old. He works in the CRPF, so I would go to his camp and play with his friends. At that time he encouraged me to play and got me into badminton,” said Shaina, recalling that she found the game enjoyable and cherished spending time playing with him.

After two years of playing recreationally, she joined the White Peacock Badminton Academy, before moving to the Mohan Kumar Badminton Academy. “He is a very good coach, passionate and dedicated.

From there, my journey really began. I started winning the Under-13 state title in 2022. I worked under him for two years from late 2019, almost 2020, and from 2022, I started doing well at the state level,” she said. 

Shaina soon became the top seed after winning several tournaments across India. Following the Panchkula National Ranking tournament in September, she was selected to represent India at the Asian Badminton Championships.

It proved to be a rewarding tournament for the country, where Shaina and Diksha Sudhakar both won gold in their category, with India securing a total of five medals. For Shaina, the moment was unforgettable.

“My international career started with a gold medal, and I’m proud of it. The tournament was very good. Everything was nice. It was a new place, with a different atmosphere, full of international standards, and the courts were just too good,” she said of her experience in China.

Competing against top international shuttlers, she quickly sensed the difference. “Their style is good, they are very flexible, their footwork is too good and their strokes are strong. It’s a different feeling when you play an international star.

It’s a proud moment to represent your country, and if you win, you’re even more proud,” she said. She also had high praise for Odisha’s prodigious talent, Tanvi Patri. “She’s really good. I lost to her so many times.

But this time, today, I won against her,” she said with a laugh. Although the achievement is her own, Shaina credited her success to the support of her parents, her coach and the competition structure provided by the Karnataka Badminton Academy and the Badminton Association of India.

The strong training environment, she said, was critical in shaping her game. Now a full-time athlete, her primary focus is winning medals. However, her education continues at the badminton academy, and balancing studies with training remains a serious challenge.

“It’s actually very hard to balance. Initially, it was fine, but now there are so many tournaments. Without going to school, it’s hard to study and understand. There should be some mentor who teaches us, right?” she said. 

Her schedule now includes three long training sessions a day, with her academic learning limited to self study and attending exams. Fresh off her gold medal and a congratulatory meeting with the CM, Shaina is currently in Arunachal Pradesh competing in the National Championship after recovering from ankle pain.

In the coming years, she hopes to test herself against the country’s best and move closer to her ultimate dream – competing at the 2028 Olympics.