Parupalli Kashyap achieved what his coach and mentor Pullela Gopichand could not do – win the men’s singles badminton gold in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Sunday. And, quite predictably, this fantastic achievement proved to be a “huge relief” for his parents, Parupalli Uday Shankar and Subadhra.

Immediately after this feat, Telangana State Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao sent him a congratulatory message. “We hope this Hyderabad-born player will win many more medals in future,” Mr. Rao said in the message.

Kashyap’s parents’ anxiety, especially in the decider of the men’s final when he warded off a spirited challenge from Derek Wong of Singapore, was understandable. “Yes, we were all waiting for this ‘golden’ moment. It is a huge relief that finally Kashyap is the gold medallist in a major event,” exclaimed a beaming Uday in a chat with The Hindu.

“We know how much pain and suffering he had to undergo because of the asthma problem. There was a phase when that threatened his career. But sheer grit, support from everyone and by God’s grace, Kashyap overcame all that and is now a champion player,” pointed out the proud father, who is scheduled to leave for Nigeria for a long assignment as the CEO of a company.

Interestingly, though the 27-year-old champion shuttler did try to speak to his mother after the marathon semi-final on Saturday evening, he could not because she was indisposed. “He was a bit disappointed but I just told him that you should win the gold,” reveals Uday Shankar. What has apparently delighted the proud parents is that now Kashyap is the proud owner of a gold in a major event of this magnitude beating his previous best performances of a bronze (men’s singles) and a silver (mixed team event)in the 2010 CWG and a quarter-final appearance in the 2012 London Olympics.

“Yes, we are all proud of his achievement,” his elated parents commented.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by V. V. Subrahmanyam / Hyderabad – August 04th, 2014