There were several hear, hear moments from badminton champion H S Prannoy’s recent meet ’n’ greet with the press in Mumbai. The champion, who won a bronze medal in the men’s singles and a silver in the team event at the recent Asian Games, spoke about Gen Next in an interactive session.

What he said was relevant not just to badminton but to start the assembly line of champions. First, is that physical infra, though important, is not enough. There has to be opportunity for those who have reached the top in their academy to play against other top players. Otherwise, one will not improve or move beyond if there is nobody to push you. People will recall India’s track athlete P T Usha.