Not in TOPS because I refused to massage Gopi’s ego: Jwala

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 28 

In one of the most direct attacks on Pullela Gopichand, India’s premier women’s doubles shuttler, Jwala Gutta, on Thursday accused the chief national coach of “biased selection” while ignoring her name for the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) as she refused to “massage his ego”.

Speaking to The Tribune from Sydney, where she was participating in the Australian Open Super Series, Jwala also lambasted the Sports Ministry for playing into the hands of Gopichand by again leaving her out of the scheme.

Jwala and her doubles partner Ashwini Ponappa found their names missing from the fresh list of 39 athletes released by the ministry despite the two having made a presentation to Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal last month.

“I had refrained from saying this when our names did not figure in the first list of 45 athletes, but now I have to really speak up that the only reason behind our exclusion from the TOPS is Gopichand. He doesn’t want us — or rather me — to be part of this scheme because he has a personal grudge against me. This is the best way to harass us because I can’t massage someone’s ego. I have not done it to others because my job is to perform for the country and not massage their egos,” said Jwala.

“It looks like my on-court performance is not enough to get me into the TOPS; people need something else from me. But I am not the one who will get bogged down by this biased approach. Let me assure him (Gopichand), I will continue to fight against the injustice meted out to me and my partner (Ashwini). People at the top will need to tell me where I am going wrong if performance is not the criteria,” she added.

Jwala said she was hoping for their names to figure in the second list after being assured by Sonowal of personally looking into the matter, but the ministry’s “dual approach” has hurt her the most.

“The minister told me not to worry about it as he knew our credentials. But now I should seriously worry about it. Maybe, the ministry doesn’t consider us worthy of selection. It looks like our performances over the years don’t count for anything. The ministry’s response has disappointed me a lot,” said Jwala.  Jwala and Ashwini lost in the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday. Jwala, 2011 World Championships bronze medallist, informed that she will seek an appointment from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to highlight her plight.

“All kind of nonsensical things are happening to us. Something very wrong is happening in badminton, and it’s my right to question the authorities. I will continue to fight this injustice because I can’t be a sycophant. I’ll try to meet the PM in July because he seems to be interested in sports.”

Jwala said if performance is the sole criteria for selection, then why has the ministry included RMV Gurusaidutt’s name in the TOPS and offered him Rs 60 lakhs.

“…just because he is from the Gopichand badminton academy. He is one of the senior members of the TOPS selection panel, and he is offering contracts to his own academy students. A player like Gurusaidutt doesn’t deserve to be there in the list. Wow…How fair is this selection? I am posing a direct question to Gopichand,” she said.

“We have, too, performed at the highest level. Last year, we won three medals and did well in the Sudirman Cup.” Jwala said she is feeling sorry for Ashwini who is “also bearing the burnt” for no fault of her.