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Peter Gade is highly impressed with India’s upcoming shuttler Varun Kapur. The Danish legend has been training Varun Kapur in Gentofte, Denmark. Former Under-19 world No. 2 Varun Kapur had a ten-day stint with Gade at his state-of-the-art Peter Gade Academy in Denmark.
Varun, the Maharashtra men's singles champion, is trying hard to establish himself in the tough world of the senior category, leaving no stone unturned in realizing his dream.
In his pursuit to become a better player, Varun decided to take the help of Peter Gade and opted for a short one-on-one session with one of the best players of the previous generation.
Varun, who has been training at the Nikhil Kanetkar Badminton Academy (NKBA) in Pune for the last six years, enjoyed his stint with the legend in Denmark.
Gade made his mark in badminton history through his All England Open Badminton Championships singles title in 1999 and his five European Championships crowns.
The six-foot tall shuttler topped the world rankings from 1998 to 2001. Several players from across the world have taken the help of Gade’s coaching to improve their standard of play.
Varun won the Uganda International badminton tournament in 2021 to claim his maiden title in the senior category. World No. 242 Varun, who is supported by the Virat Kohli Foundation and Britannia Industries, impressed Gade with his skill and lightning speed on the court.
Sportskeeda spoke exclusively with Peter Gade and here are some of his thoughts on one of the fastest-rising Indian teenagers on the international circuit.
Excerpts from an interview with Peter Gade
Q: Is this the first time you have seen Varun Kapur play?
A: Yes, it is the first time I have seen Varun.
Q: How do you find Varun as a player?
A: He is a very fast player. Fast on his feet, quick reactions, and a good fighter on the court.
Q: Is a 10-day camp with Varun enough or would you ideally want a longer duration?
A: It depends on the goal and focus of the 10 days. For long-term focus, of course, 10 days is not enough. We will need much longer periods to add possible changes to Varun's game. For inspiration, current and relevant advice and sparring, of course we did our best to give it to Varun. I feel like he took a lot with him back home in different ways.
Q: What are Varun's strengths and weaknesses?
A: Strength is the speed and reaction of his game, plus a great fighting attitude. Varun needs to add to his game on the physical side, but also on tactical areas, to make even better use of his strengths.
Q: In which areas does Varun better match the best in the sport?
A: He is a very fast player. Super-fast on his feet.
Q: What should be the short-term and long-term goals for Varun?
A: That is for Varun to decide. If we can help him again, we are ready for that.
