SHUTTLER’S FLICK: Making Every Match Count by Pullela Gopichand & Priya Kumar
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Publishers India Pvt Ltd.
Pages: 365
Price: Rs. 599 INR(Hard cover), Rs.265 INR(Kindle)
ISBN: 978–8195057139
Buy here: https://amzn.to/3A29bGR
My take on the book:
Shuttler’s Flick is the official autobiography of ace badminton champ and winner of All England Championship Pullela Gopichand along with Priya Kumar. While most of the current generation knows Gopi as the man with the Midas touch to have consistently transformed young aspirants into International Badminton champions and Olympic medal winners, not many are aware that Gopi was once a successful badminton player himself and the second person to win the much coveted All England Championship.
The book starts at the point when Gopi was at the peak of his career and he got injured badly on court, followed by a major surgery and his hard work and commitment to bounce back from a low phase of his career. The book provides intricate details of what sort of preparation happened during his career, his personal life, before moving into the much-awaited part of how Gopi transitioned into the supreme coach he is today.
The book is divided into 26 chapters and at the end of each chapter, co-author Priya Kumar jots down important anecdotes and suggestions under the title — Your Serve. Those who have already read Priya Kumar’s books know the Self-help genre that she is famous for, hence this book is a beautiful amalgamation of memoir and self-help. The writing style is lucid, the book is a one-stop guide for youngsters aspiring to be badminton champs, and generally for anyone interested in sports and the lives of sports persons.
I have personally been a sports lover, especially of badminton, hence reading about Gopi and those parts of his life that are not in public domain has been an exhilarating experience. I always wondered about the advice he would churn out to his proteges in the middle of a tense match; if you also did, then pick this book to read it all. Pick this one if you love memoirs, love reading about sports and sports personalities, what it takes for becoming a champion or if you just want to emulate such success in the field of your choice.
My rating:
5/5.