Ami Ghia still recollects the day she located a badminton racquet at her home. A faculty pupil back then, Ami become the only character in her household to have picked up the game of badminton.
Today, at the age of 62 years, Ghia, once called the undisputed “Queen” of the sport in India, whilst speaking over smartphone from her house in Mumbai, said, “My parents have by no means even seen me gambling.” The seven-time national singles champion, 8-time runners up, 12-time gold medalist in the doubles and four-time champion inside the combined doubles had a profession spanning over 18 years from 1970 to 1988.
Ghia’s key fulfillment changed into the bronze medal in girls doubles on the 1978 Commonwealth Games with Kanwal Thakar Singh and in the 1982 Asian Games, Ami Ghia hogged the limelight via winning bronze in girls’ team event.
Badminton was kind of activity for the Commonwealth Games gold medalist in her early days. Brought up in Mumbai, Ghia used to go to Bombay Gymkhana each night after getting back from school. “Some of my dad’s friends counseled him to send me to Gymkhana to get involved in any sport for a few interests in the night in order that I do no longer get careworn with research,” she found out.
But Bombay Gymkhana subsequently became out to be the cradle for Ghia as she graduated to one level after the alternative. Soon she changed into inside the under-18 class and then started playing in the senior stage. “I changed into going with the waft. I used to revel in playing badminton and soon I promoted myself from Gymkhana to gambling for Bombay and from Bombay to Maharastra and eventually to represent u . S .,” she brought.
Ghia recalls playing with several worldwide stars in the course of her days – defeating the All England champion from South Korea in the World Championship, her tussle on the courtroom in the home circuit with Sujata Jain and later with Madhumita Singh Bist. Not just that Ghia specifically cherishes the time spent with Prakash Padukone. “All people have been stimulated simply by way of looking him. We attempted to take our fashionable of the sport to his popularity in those days. I experience this becomes every other crucial, however, a silent fulfillment of Prakash (Padukone),” commented Ghia who shared some fond recollections on the former.
“We stood at the same podium in 1978 with gold medals. Apart from that, we have toured collectively for around 10 years. I was fortunate to have watched his schooling each time the countrywide team used to practice before any international competitions.”
The mother of two boys, Ghia quit expert badminton in 1988. “There changed into no strain from my own family to stop gambling the sport. I selected to provide the first precedence to my own family. But I do no longer have any remorse for that.”
Ghia nowadays watches gift-day badminton on television. The pinnacle three shuttlers of the united states – Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, and Kidambi Srikanth are her favorites. She generally does now not miss watching these 3 gamers’ sport and enjoys gaining knowledge of.
