In the ongoing Badminton Asian Championship, Sameer Verma had to fight out a tough three-game battle with Japan’s Kazumasa Sakai to enter the pre-quarters. He did this successfully along with two other badminton aces – Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu also successfully made it to the next round.
Coming back to Sameer Verma, we are taking a look at how the 24-year-old is prioritising his fitness over other things so that he can excel in his career.
Sameer Verma in action (Source: AFP)
Even in his short international career, Sameer has suffered multiple injuries that have ruled him out of key tournaments. The badminton ace does not wish to lose out on any other opportunities, which is why he has made his fitness as his primary target.
“I just want to stay fit, take care of my body, that is my target. I don’t want to think about anything else. I know if I am 100 percent, performance will come and my ranking will also improve,” Sameer told PTI over the phone.
Sameer Verma has qualified for pre-quarters (Source: AFP)
“I keep talking to my coaches and physios about how to better take care of myself. I have realised that I was doing overtraining, which I have to avoid and think long term.”
Sameer, whose elder brother is also a badminton player, had a strong run in the Syed Modi International Grand Prix Gold event as well. He later went on to clinch his maiden gold at the event. However, things did not look very positive after that as he sustained a shoulder injury which ruled him out of the Indonesian and Australian Open.
The shoulder injury came to haunt him again at the Korean Open, and he had to be rested for the second half of the season.
Since injuries have been the crux of his constant early exit from tournaments, we hope he has recovered well and is fitter than ever. The Badminton Asian Championship looks positive and we hope he has a long run in the championship and can win the medal as well!
