Isharani Baruah in action. (Instagram)
\n\nWhen Ashmita Chaliha stunned Akane Yamaguchi at the French Open last month, the person sitting in her corner was not a coach. It was fellow Indian shuttler Isharani Baruah. The image has come to sum up India's European tour, which players now have to fund largely on their own after the Sports Authority of India (SAI) did not release money for the four-tournament swing across Finland, Denmark, France and Germany.
\n\nSpeaking to Sports Now, Isharani revealed that she paid for the European leg through her own personal finances and the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ). BAI had a team in Finland (including coaches), but didn't have such a setup for Denmark, France and Germany. With no coach travelling with the Indian contingent to Denmark, France and Germany, players stepped in for each other.
\n\n"There was no team this time. So there was no coach," she said.
\n\nPV Sindhu's coach was present at the higher-tier events, but he could not sit in every Indian player's match. "He trained only Sindhu, and he trained us also. We practised together, but he could not sit. So, I have been sitting in Ashmita's match," she said.
\n\nAccording to a source…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/sports
