Want to improve my senior ranking, qualify for Olympics: Tasnim Mir

On
Wednesday
(January
12),
the
16-year-old
from
Gujarat
had
become
the
first
Indian
to
grab
the
top
rank
in
the
under-19
girls
singles.

“It
is
a
big
confidence
boost
for
me.
Just
like
I
became
world
number
one
in
U-19,
I
want
to
continue
that
performance
in
seniors
too,”
Tasnim,
currently
ranked
602
in
seniors,
said
in
a
virtual
press-conference
organised
by
Sport
Authority
of
India
(SAI)
on
Sunday.

“My
long
term
goal
is
to
improve
my
ranking
in
seniors
as
well,
so
that
I
can
participate
in
Olympics
and
represent
India.
So
my
main
aim
is
to
play
as
many
senior
tournaments
as
possible
and
perform
well
in
them
so
that
my
ranking
can
improve.”

Tasnim
Mir
becomes
first
Indian
to
claim
world
no
1
status
in
U-19
girls
singles

Tasnim’s
ascent
to
the
top
in
the
junior
circuit
has
fuelled
hopes
that
India
may
have
finally
found
a
successor
to
the
likes
of
Saina
Nehwal
and
PV
Sindhu.

“There
is
a
lot
of
competition
at
India
level.
In
the
India
open,
we
have
seen
Malvika
(Bansod)
and
Ashmita
(Chaliha),
Aakarshi
(Kashyap),
they
are
giving
good
performance.

“I
do
feel
the
pressure
and
responsibility
that
the
entire
nation
has
high
hopes
from
me.
Of
course
I
would
try
to
improve
myself
and
live
up
to
the
expectations.”

Korea’s
An
Seyoung
has
emerged
as
one
of
the
most
sensational
talents
in
the
senior
circuit
in
the
last
couple
of
years.

Asked
if
she
too
would
like
to
have
a
similar
start
like
the
19-year-old
Korean,
Tasnim
said:
“An
Seyoung
performance
is
unbelievable
and
it
is
going
to
be
tough
to
emulate
that
and
I
want
to
perform
like
her,
but
it
will
take
time…”

Tasnim
has
been
simply
sensational
last
year
as
she
secured
titles
in
three
junior
international
tournaments
to
jump
three
places
to
grab
the
top
position
in
the
junior
world
rankings.

However,
she
says
she
will
have
to
learn
to
deal
with
failures
as
she
graduates
to
the
senior
circuit.

“When
I
would
lose
matches,
I
used
to
think
that
I
won’t
be
able
to
do
it.
If
I
would
have
given
up
then,
I
wouldn’t
have
reached
this
stage,”
she
said.

“I
don’t
like
losing.
In
last
2-3
years
I
have
been
winning
and
I
am
performing
well
but
as
I
step
into
seniors
circuit,
I
am
facing
losses.
So
I
feel
it
is
very
difficult.
So
I
used
to
think
about
giving
up
earlier
but
then
I
feel
from
these
failures
I
will
improve
more.”

Talking
about
her
training
stints,
Tasnim
said
:
“I
left
training
under
my
father
six
years
back.
For
two
years,
I
was
at
Gopichand
academy
and
then
moved
to
Assam,
where
I
have
been
training
under
Edwin
Iriawan
for
last
four
years.

“My
coach
has
trained
Saina
and
Sindhu,
he
is
very
experienced.
So
his
training
regime
has
helped
me
a
lot.
I
have
evolved
as
a
player,
I
have
improved
my
strength.

“There
are
lot
of
men
players
there,
so
I
could
train
against
them.
It
has
been
a
good
training
stint
in
Assam.”