Manipur’s Kim hopes to be Indian badminton’s next young sensation with help in Hyderabad

From staring at an uncertain future in a refugee camp following ethnic clashes in Manipur, a talented young shuttler in Kim Kim is looking far beyond with dreaming big.

When 11-year-old Kim lost her home to the clashes, Suchitra Badminton Academy’s head coach Pradeep Raju took notice. Pradeep then reached out to the Manipur Badminton Association in order to find the player and offer 100 per cent scholarship at the academy, which is based in Hyderabad.

“Well, it was in June last year that Kim Kim arrived at Suchitra along with her mother and when I had asked her why she had preferred badminton to her toys, she replied instantaneously that her dream is becoming the World No.1 and nothing else is more important,” Pradeep recalled.

Kim’s arrival at Suchitra could be the turning point in the young shuttler’s career after she finished runner-up in girls (under-13) doubles partnering her Academy-mate Anya in the recent All India sub-junior ranking tournament in Dibrugarh (Assam). She also clinched bronze in the singles event.

“It was amazing that at that age she was willing to be away from her parents and focus on badminton, saying she would be happy making video calls to them and that she was willing to sacrifice anything to become a big name in badminton,” the head coach said. “Then, our fitness trainer Srikanth Verma started working closely with her and the progress is really satisfying.”

“This focus on young talent like Kim and Anya is part of our endeavour to identify and invest in promising young athletes through the Long-Term Development Programme at Suchitra Academy, “ he said.

“The emergence of players like Kim shows our commitment and passion in reaching out to young talent and showing them the way forward. Our academy is committed to providing a strong foundation for young talent,” Pradeep said.