They say that behind every successful man there's a woman, but roles just got reversed for India after the successful performance of it's women athletes in Rio Olympics.
PV Sindhu, Deepa Karmakar, and Sakshi Malik—all were coached and mentored by men who proved that in this day and age it's time to reverse roles and say that "behind every successful woman, there's a man!"
Meet the mentors who trained these exceptional women and put them on a pedestal for the world to see:
1.Kuldeep Singh, Sakshi Malik's coach
A girl who comes from a state which is known for its high rates of crime against women Sakshi Malik's has one extraordinary story of gut and determination.
Did you know Kuldeep Singh, Sakshi Malik's coach is an Olympian himself and has represented India at the 1988 Seoul Olympic? He has been associated with the Indian wrestling team since 2000.
“I am overwhelmed for what she has done. I’ll remain indebted to her all my life. There was double pressure on us to perform as India hadn’t opened its account on the medal tally till then. But I had faith on Sakshi that she will make it ,” a visibly ecstatic Kuldeep told the media.
And when he lifted Sakshi on his shoulders after her historic win, the whole world came to know how he had supported Sakshi in chasing her dream.
2. Bisweshwar Nandi, Dipa Karmakar's coach
While her heart-warming story caught everybody's attention, not many know that it was her coach Bisweshwar Nandi who helped Dipa Karmakar overcome her issue with flat foot.
Through extensive training, Nandi not only helped her overcome her flat foot issue he also introduced her to the Produnova, which is considered to be the most dangerous move in women's vault. Indeed, Nandi and Deepa's story has inspired a many girls who want to be gymnasts and represent the country. Perhaps, the reason why the Indian government has bestowed the prestigious Dronacharya Award upon him.
Continue reading on the next page to read about the man behind the success of PV Sindhu!
"She is a girl hungry for perfection. She is stubborn also and she won't stop before doing something which she wants to do. These traits of her, I have used to my advantage. The performance at the test event in Rio was her best so far but her best is yet to come. She can do better than this in Rio," he said after Deepa's outstanding performance in Rio.
3. Pullela Gopichand, PV Sindhu's coach
An exceptional badminton player himself, Pullela Gopichand has made sure that he gets India the Olympic medal some way or the other. So what if he was not able to win it himself, his proteges have done the job and how!
First it was Saina Nehwal who impressed one and all by her outstanding performance and now it is PV Sindhu, who has become the first woman ever to win a Silver Olympic medal.
"I used to start every morning with Sindhu. This was one relationship that I've always thought would produce a result. That made people doubt if Sindhu would be able to make it big or not. A lot of people started comparing her with Saina. But somewhere deep within my heart, I used to believe that she'd get a medal and she'd become a big player. It was perhaps both my instinct and god's will that I reposed my faith in her," he said after her historic Silver medal win.
Also Read: Against all odds: Sakshi Malik become first women to win an Olympic bronze
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