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Follow UsThe 32-year-old senior Indian shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa has made it again to the Commonwealth Games. She will be a part of the Indian badminton team at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. Currently, she is putting all her best efforts into the training sessions ahead of the big competition.
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Ponnappa is currently the core part of Indian badminton. Although, things have changed completely in the past couple of years. The Bangalore-born ace shuttler is not the exact one right now who made her debut in 2006 and won gold in Commonwealth Games 2010. It is because of the fact that almost everything regarding the game has changed in these past few years.
She made it to the headlines after bagging the yellow metal with a historic and memorable win at the Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi. She also won a gold medal in the South Asian Games of 2006.
Recently, the gold medalist of the South Asian Games, Ponnappa has also talked about her preparations and mindset ahead of the commencement of the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
There have been lots of ups and downs in these years - Ashwini Ponappa
“There have been lots of ups and downs in these years. I have changed a lot in 10 years, improved by leaps and bounds, have tons of experience behind me now and it does feel great to make it to the Commonwealth Games team again. I mean, looking back in 2010, it all started there and it was kind of very new for me. Winning the gold was a great moment. I really would like to relive that moment,” Ponnappa was quoted as saying while talking about her mindset before CWG 2022.
Later on, she also talked about the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games 2018 on Gold Coast and compared the conditions of that time to the current circumstances.
“In 2018, I and Sikki won a bronze but it was the first time we won the team gold which was a superb feeling. This time the challenge is different. I am playing mixed doubles, and not women's doubles, but I am up for it. There was a mixed feeling, it was our 16th match and it does take a toll on the mind and body. It so happened that Sikki had an abdominal tear ahead of the finals. So, there were lots of factors that we couldn't play our best. So yeah, it was disappointing,” She added later.