Siblings Aadirai and Aadith hope to go the distance at Racketlon Worlds

All set: Aadirai with her brother Aadith raring to go for the Worlds again. 
| Photo Credit: File photo

After a great first impression in the 2022 FIR Racketlon World Championship in Austria, Aadirai and Aadith, the brother and sister duo, hope to do one better in the Racketlon World doubles in London (July 20-23) and the teams and singles in Rotterdam Netherlands (August 2-6).

“I believe it’s going to be a bit difficult as the expectations are more having won the under-16 girls’ singles and the mixed doubles title with my brother in Austria. But, I am ready for the challenge,” said Aadirai, the younger of the two.

She played some tough matches in her maiden Worlds but stunned all with a delightful double. “True but, this time around, I feel my opponents might come with a better game plan. I have my own plans too and have worked hard to give my best in all four (tennis, table tennis, badminton and squash),” she said.

Aadirai’s big strengths are tennis and table tennis. “I am quite strong in both, but now I can play the other two equally well. Playing all four well requires a lot of study and effort as each racket is different and one must be able to shift gears from one to another within a small time frame. The racket grip and movements also matter,” she added.

Mind games

But the young champion, who trains at the PSG Tech courts, wants to stay as calm as possible. “I feel it is mostly the mind that needs to be sharp, and I have done a bit of training too. That’s going to make the difference when I step on the courts in the Worlds.”

Aadith, on the other hand, gave his best as well but lost in the under-16 singles quarterfinal. “It was heartbreaking but I put that behind and came back the next day to win the mixed doubles title with my sister. She played a big part in the win,” he said.

“I am a lot more informed now about the players and their style of play. In fact, we travelled to Mumbai specially for some squash training as we have zero players in Coimbatore. But, this year, I am better prepared in all four as well and you will see it on court,” he assured.