Tokyo Paralympics: Got motivated after coach told me to win second game comprehensively, says Manoj

Tokyo [Japan], September 4 (ANI): Tokyo Paralympics bronze medallist shuttler Manoj Sarkar on Saturday said that he got further motivated after his coach Gaurav Khanna told him to win the second game of his match comprehensively.
“I am very happy with this medal, I learnt that we play against the opponents using racquet and shuttle, but in this tournament, I learnt that you have to play against the court as well. Every place has a different court, we need to get better at this,” Manoj told ANI.
“The pressure was there to be playing against a Japanese opponent in the bronze medal match. But as they say when you have the blessing of your ‘guru’, you can win any battle. The first game was tough, but I managed to win it. After that, the coach told me that this game was a close affair, but make sure you win the next one comprehensively. I got further motivated after that,” he added.
India shuttler Manoj Sarkar won a bronze medal after defeating Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara in the men’s singles SL3 event here at the Yoyogi National Stadium Court 3. The entire match lasted for 47 minutes.
“I want to dedicate this medal to the country, but this match, the turning point credit has to go to my wife. Before the match, she told me that the way you show your anger (laughs), you should do the same on the court and there would be no one left standing in front of you. I am not at all tired, my body wasn’t tired after the semifinal nor it is after this game,” said Manoj.
Talking about Manoj’s win, coach Gaurav Khanna said: “Manoj may be telling you a story, but he is the player. Before the match, he was quite thoughtful about his strategy. He is a thoughtful player, he is patient. But today he was a different Manoj, he was aggressive. The way he started the match, he was shouting after winning each game and rally. He was creating pressure on his opponent through body language as well. He was confident about his win in the match.”
Earlier on Saturday, Manoj Sarkar had lost the men’s singles SL3 semi-final match in straight sets. Daniel Bethell of Great Britain defeated Manoj 21-8, 21-10 in the semi-final clash to seal the match in 38 minutes. Meanwhile, Pramod Bhagat won the final to take home the gold medal. (ANI)