‘You cannot eat biryani and become a world champion -- that's not possible’
‘If your full attention is on your phone all the time, can you play at world level?’
Former All England Open champion Pullela Gopichand didn’t just coach champions -- he changed how Indian badminton thinks about success. His tough-love approach, often labelled extreme, has produced some of the country’s greatest sporting moments.
Gopichand transitioned from elite player to master coach, shaping a generation of champions that includes Saina Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth and PV Sindhu.
As the founder of the Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, he set high standards of discipline and preparation. Excellence, for him, extended beyond the court -- encompassing physical conditioning, diet, sleep routines and mental focus.
That philosophy was most evident ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics, when Sindhu was not allowed to use her phone for three months leading into the Games. She was also barred from eating ice cream -- a restriction she was allowed to break only hours after winning her historic Olympic silver medal.
Speaking to Lallantop, Gopichand addressed his tough methods, acknowledging that some view them as extreme.
Sacrifice becomes a source of motivation
"Yes, today some people say these methods are inhuman. But you cannot eat biryani and become a world champion –- that's not possible. If you eat it once in a while, that's fine. But if your full attention is on your phone all the time, can you play at world level?" Gopichand said.
He elaborated on the rationale behind such discipline.
"Maybe there are a few rare people who can, but why take that chance? That's how I think. So yes, we did things like this – when players came to the academy in the morning, their phones were taken away and kept in their bags, and they got them back only when they left."
When asked whether phone restrictions applied only during training sessions, Gopichand’s response drew laughter during the interview.
"No, not just during practice. Not even after practice."
He explained how removing distractions served as a constant mental reminder of a larger goal.
"If your basic habit is checking your phone every two minutes, and I take it away saying I'm doing this for your preparation, then every time your mind thinks about the phone, it will also think: I have left my phone because I want to become a world champion or a national champion," he added.
Gopichand went on to underline how sacrifice itself becomes a source of motivation, reinforcing consistency and purpose.
"The same thing happens when everyone is ordering desserts and I don't. My mind remembers that I have given this up because I want to be a top world player."
He stressed that it was never about food or devices in isolation.
"It's not that by not eating one plate of biryani you will become a world champion, or that eating it will stop you from becoming one. That's not the point. The point is that I have given something up because I want to become one."
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