From a badminton backwater comes emerging talent Sanskar, who won Guwahati Masters Super 100 title

Sanskar remembers an atmosphere akin to how Tai Tzu-ying learnt her early strokes, alongside her father and his friends. “In my case,” Sanskar says, “my father and extended family would play badminton for hours.” Intricacies of strokes discussed in a stress-free, but sports-loving atmosphere stuck on since age 7, even as his father wrapped up an active career as many time state champion.

His grandfather had been a boxer, and while Rajasthan packed off its tall men (especially from Sikar), to play basketball and volleyball for Services and Railways, Raj, who had one of the best backhands on the domestic circuit, was determined to kickstart a badminton trend in the state. “Any game was encouraged in the house since my father was a boxer. But we had no facilities back in the day. We would lose in the first round, and watch matches the remaining 4 days. Vikram Singh was state champ, and without internet whatever we learnt was from watching seniors play. This one year, we went to a Jaipur satellite tournament and Lee Chong Wei who was playing for the first time, became an immediate favourite,” he says.

After Sanskar got serious about the sport, Raj took to coaching full time, as the mother took on responsibilities of running the house with her medical officer job. But the youngster had no inkling that Rajasthan wasn’t a shuttle hub, given how invested his father would be in filling up his hours with perfecting strokes. “My strokes just got very sharp because of my father’s attention to technique and knowledge of badminton related-fitness. I would repeat strokes 500-600 times from the same corner,” Sanskar recalls.

His game style is extremely aggressive, though playing at higher levels was a sobering experience, tempering his attacking intent. “At the international level, 70-80 % of the time, rallies get longer. So I had to learn to play long rallies. But I know how to create my shuttle (build towards a kill),” he says.

At Guwahati, Sanskar beat former national champion Mithun Manjunath, a tricky opponent, but he displayed a fine ability to control rallies from the net and disperse shuttles with variety to displace the senior. “I was a little worried because I hadn’t won any medal the whole year. But I trained well for 3 weeks, without a single off,” he says.

Amongst his crispiest strokes is the forehand cross slice, but Sanskar has been reaching across for a round-the-head smash, and nailing the lines pretty effectively recently. His tall frame offers him the leeway of playing it unbalanced even if he can’t reach. Having idolized Lin Dan since young, his attack is quite notable, though the strong basics and punch on strokes learnt at a single court in Jodhpur have stood him in good stead.

Sanskar needs to prop up his defense, and like every shuttler needs to keep an eye on both his knees, plus ankle and back, rehab for which brings him to Mumbai’s Reliance facility often. “I think he logs a lot of negatives (errors) and loses points in a bunch. But I don’t want to interfere with his coaching now, he’s doing well. If he can cut on errors and improve defense, he will do well,” the father says.
Rajasthan meanwhile has seen a mushrooming of many Academies since 2009 when Sanskar started. The physicality might yield results quicker than expected, and Sanskar might be the first of many from the region.

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More

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