Playing smart is age-defying Gade's secret

After beating Park in the semis, Peter reveals the secret behind his age-defying performances

After beating Park in the semis, Peter reveals the secret behind his age-defying performances

Peter Gade is the grand old man of world badminton. As he admits, "at 34, I feel ancient when I play against teenagers."u00a0


Denmark's Peter Gade returns to Korea's Park Sung-Hwan during
their men's singles semi-final of the India Open Super Series
2011 in New Delhi on Saturday. Gade won 21-15, 21-19. PIC/AFP

But on Saturday, the former All England champion from Denmark turned back the clock with a 21-15, 21-19 victory over 26-year-old South Korean Park Sung-Hwan in the semi-finals of the Indian Open Super Series to book a spot in the final against World No 1u00a0 Lee Chong Wei who beat Hong Kong's Hu Yun 21-11, 21-15.
After his victory, Gade spoke to SUNDAY MiD DAY about the challenges of keeping fit and his rival-turned-friend Pullela Gopichand

Excerpts:

There was huge support from the local crowd today...
Yes. I'm happy and hope they support me again against Wei. But, I think I was supported because I was the underdog. The crowd also clapped for Sung-Hwan. The Indians are knowledgeable about badminton.

How do you rate Indians, especially Gopichand who beat you in the 2001 All England semi-final?
You have some good wristy stroke players. But I find most Indian players looking angry on court. I do not know why. Even Gopi used to be aggressive. And he beat me using some tricky shots in the latter stages in 2001. He was a very good player and a good friend.

Will Indian badminton benefit with Gopichand as national coach?
Yes. He is serious about the game. He has already shown what he can do in terms of coaching by bringing the best out of Saina Nehwal. You had two boys (Saurabh Verma and Guru Sai Dutt) in the quarters here, which is not bad at all.

How long does it take for you to recover from long matches?
It takes so many more minutes than before. I'm not getting faster but I have learnt to play smart nowadays and know how to conserve my energy. I see myself playing at least up to the 2012 Olympics.

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