We can change colour and bring more medals: Shuttler Tanisha Crasto ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics

By Vivek Prabhakar Singh
Hyderabad (Telangana)[India], May 1 : The Indian badminton players, including PV Sindhu, have secured five quotas for the Paris 2024 Olympics as per a 'Race to Paris' Ranking List' published by the sport's governing body, the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
With a total of seven badminton quotas in total, India could field their joint-biggest badminton contingent in the Olympics, having played with seven shuttlers back in 2016 at the Rio Olympics.
Indian shuttler Tanisha Crasto partnering Ashwini Ponnappa in women's doubles believes that the Indian contingent has a strong shot at changing the colour of the medal from bronze and silver to gold as well as winning more than one in the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024 starting July 26.
Notably in the 2012 London Olympics, Saina Nehwal won bronze, while PV Sindhu won silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics and bagged a bronze in Tokyo Olympics.
"I think 100 per cent we can change the colour of the medal and 100 per cent we are capable of winning more medals. I think everyone's working very very hard to go out there and just win a medal and I feel that India can win more medals and of course, change the colour of the medal to gold this time," said Tanisha Crasto while speaking to ANI.
Former world champion PV Sindhu, a silver medalist from the 2016 Olympics and a bronze medalist from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, got her quota as she finished in 12th spot in the list that was published on Tuesday, as per Olympics.com.
In the men's singles competition, HS Prannoy, ranked ninth and Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen, ranked 13th, got their quotas for India in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The other two quotas for India came in doubles competition, with Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy securing the third spot in the men's doubles list and Ashwini Ponappa and Tanisha Crasto finishing 13th in the women's doubles.
"I think this is one of the best contingents going to the Olympics this time. Satwik and Chirag are former world number one. I think Prannoy and Lakshya are in the top 10, top 15 and we of course are in the top 20. I think it is a very strong team going this time and 100 per cent capable of giving each one a good fight out there," Tanisha Crasto said.
This is the first Olympics for Tanisha Crasto and the 20-year-old shuttler is very excited to be a part of it.
"I am very very excited especially since I will be playing the Olympics at such a young age. Of course, it is a very big deal but I am very excited and ready to learn so much more experience from this Olympics. This feeling is very different and I am very excited," told Tanisha Crasto.
"It is going to be a very different feeling and I think most importantly our family is going to be there watching me at the Olympics and that in itself is a very big thing for me," added Crasto.
The women's doubles player got goosebumps when she was asked how the feeling would be when she will walk in the Indian contingent during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
"Now, that you have talked about it that picture I had not imagined until now. Having just goosebumps thinking about it," said Tanisha Crasto.
The 20-year-old Tanisha who is playing her first Olympics is partnering Ashwini Ponnappa in women's doubles who is playing her third Olympics after participating in London 2012 and Rio 2016.
"It has been great. I think it has been about a year and a half if you would say that me and Didi (Ashwini Ponnappa) had started playing. It has been an amazing journey with her. We have learnt so much from our journey because of so much of the work we have put in together. So, many things we have done together and we have always gone onwards and upwards. We have made progress little by little and today we are here," said Tanisha Crasto.
"I think it works and helps a lot. She has been in this field for a very long time. She has a better and broader idea about this. Even when we play matches I follow a lot of her thinking and putting my point of view has always been an auction, the way she thinks about the game, and the way she puts in the work helps me a lot. It helps me stay motivated and try to find more ideas in that current situation. Her experience and her info have helped our partnership," added Tanisha.
Despite the excitement of participating in her first Olympics Tanisha Crasto realizes that she has to keep her focus as the competition is going to be very tough.
"I think it is very important to be focussed right now. The first goal was to make it to the Olympics but now that we have made it to the Olympics the goal would be to go out there and win a medal at the Olympics which requires more focus and more determination and will to do better. I think we are completely focussed and having good training, recovering well. Going and still playing tournaments. It is going to be the same players who are going to play the Olympics and have some good match practices, having that pressure situation again. I think the preparation is very very good. Like you said it is very important to be focused more than ever right now," said Tanisha Crasto.