Deepshikha Nagpal, who owns Super Smashers in Yuva Badminton League, says that this is a dream come true for her. She adds that she had always wanted to own a sports team, and is thrilled to be finally doing it.
“I feel very grateful and proud that I own a team. God has been kind, as this was my dream. When you watch cricket, you wish to have a team in your name. I never thought I would be an owner of a badminton team. When Capt. Vineet and Pawanji came to me with this idea. I knew this is going to be very big. Also, for me, owning any sports team is such a great honour. So immediately, I said yes,” she says.
She adds that this league is sure to help badminton reach a wider audience. “What makes this special is that this is all for a social cause also. This will help promote the game in a big way. I feel very responsible as a team owner because it’s not only about owning a team, but it’s the responsibility that comes with that. You need to ensure that your team has everything that it needs, that the players get proper training, and they play better,” she says.
Ask her if she is personally fond of the game, and she says, “When you talk about badminton, it is very close to my heart. I used to play badminton very well during my college days. My dad and I used to play gully badminton as he used to love playing the game as well. I have this memory of him playing badminton with me till today. I love badminton as it is full fitness, you do full cardio. When I play at the club, I come back so tired, yet so rejuvenated. It’s such a nice feeling.”
She adds, “I used to study in a hostel and I used to only do outdoor activities. Like Lezim and Talwar fight, I was good in every outdoor activity. I have a club membership, and I am so happy that my kids go swimming, and play football, badminton, leaving their gadgets behind. Parents should always encourage their children to go and play outside. I feel that children should also pick up one sports activity and they should train in it. If not on a national level, you have to at least do it for your fitness.”
When we think of sports, we think of only cricket. The actress says that this mindset needs to change. “When we talk about sports, we think about cricket only. It’s like every fruit is nice but you think of mango first because mango is the king of fruits. So because cricketers have been getting into acting, and doing commercials, people know more about it. But we need to be more inclusive of other games too. We need to change that mindset that only cricket matters. When I was a kid, I used to watch tennis and badminton with my dad and we never saw much cricket. I feel when actors own a sports team, the popularity of the game increases. Somewhere as an artist, I’m contributing to a sports activity, and that makes me proud,” she says.
