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Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa who are currently ranked 15th in the world, have said that they intend to get into the Top 10 in the world soon. The couple who are now sponsored by the Olympic Gold Quest(OGQ), failed to make in impact during the tournaments in Korea and Japan partly owing to the former succumbing to illness.
“We had broken into the top 10 after the Canadian Open but I fell sick during the Japan Open and Korea Open and the rankings have come down a bit”, Jwala said while being revealed as the newest members of the Olympic Gold Quest family.
She also added that they were striving to better themselves in the hope of doing well in the tournaments leading up to the Olympics in 2016.
The OGQ’s co-founder Prakash Padukone also had some inputs for the two newest athletes to be added to the OGQ list.
"Jwala and Ashwini haven't played up to their potential till date. I know they have the quality to play at their best and I know they will do well in the upcoming tournaments.”
The 1980 All England champion added that their association with the OGQ would help the pair realise their dreams.
"Jwala and Ashwini are undoubtedly the number one women's doubles pair in India and they are consistently among the top 20 in the world. I feel that OGQ's efficient and timely support will help them immensely.”
He also added that the pair must concentrate on giving their best performance with each progressing tournament and strive to do their maximum in every match. He attributed this to having higher levels of confidence ahead of the Summer Olympics 2016 in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.
The former Commonwealth Games gold medalist who co-founded the OGQ which is a non-profit organisation to help Indian athletes compete to win medals in the Olympics. Talking about the association, Jwala said that the OGQ would guarantee them fitness.
Ponnappa added to the OGQ’s importance "I am so happy that Jwala and me are a part of the OGQ family now. We have seen the way OGQ has been supporting other top badminton players over the years.”
The couple will have to reassess their focus after bowing out early from the other competitions earlier this year, to look to make an impact for India in the forthcoming Olympics.
