A rebel genius like Lin Dan would never flourish in an Indian system: Jwala Gutta

Lin Dan, arguably the greatest-ever badminton player, called it a day recently. Rebellious, highly individualistic and blessed with silken skills, the five-time world champion and double Olympic gold-winner was the undisputed superstar of the sport.
Jwala Gutta, top Indian doubles player and a rebel in her own right, spoke on the cult of Lin Dan, how the moody genius was an aberration in the Chinese ethos of regimented sporting training and yet, how he would have scarcely thrived in the Indian mentality.
Excerpts:
What's the first thing that strikes you about Lin Dan?
In a group photo, if you look closely, there will always be one person who will be different. Let's just say, Lin Dan would stand out in a group photo.
I have known Lin Dan since the 2000 world junior championships in Guangzhou. I remember being struck then by the Chinese team. They were like robots. That exists to this day, there is a sameness to everybody, all similar in their kind of play, the training, the kind of footwork, the length, their attitude off the court, everything. But Lin Dan was different from the beginning.
He was aggressive, stylish, you know, that, 'I know I'm the best' vibe. His attitude was much like the Europeans who are fearless even when they are not winning. Asian players are not that aggressive because they come from a sporting country where the government is central to their development. I think only Anup Sridhar among Indians had a similar attitude of fearlessness when he was in his prime. But Lin Dan was simply another level altogether.
Why do you think Lin Dan could retain his individuality in a country like China?
Society mindsets in China and India are almost the same. So, a guy doing his own thing is still accepted and Lin Dan also cornered a lot of fame because of his personality. Had it been a woman, I don't think it would have been accepted by the Chinese as well.
A lot of credit for it though should go to the China team coach, Li Yongbo who was far-sighted enough to go ahead with the changes. He could sense that change was inevitable. He did, what I would call, a westernization of an old culture.
Do you think he would have flourished in an Indian context?
How is that even possible? Indians also don't accept that, no? That's why I was never accepted (Laughs). People called him the bad boy of badminton and I was the 'bad boy' of Indian badminton because I used to call out what was wrong.
In India, there is a herd mentality. But you should be acceptable of all kinds of individualities. For an individual to grow, you need to give her space. Else, you will not have sports persons in individual disciplines coming out as a regular process -- once in 50 years, first time in 30 years, that will remain our story.
Is it possible then that someone like say, Prakash Padukone was so loved right from our parents' generation to this day because he was a nice boy -- clean cut and non-controversial?
He was a good boy! Also, he contributed immensely to the sport. I wish he spoke out more, really. He actually did speak out against the establishment, and to help the players but I wish he had done that when I was playing.
For us he is 'Prakash Sir', a good-looking man, also good in his sport - that's a very rare combination for the Indian mentality. Even today, good looks and being glamorous is only associated with cricket and it's acceptable without question. The same thing does not really apply to other sports in India. I want to look good on court and off it. I wear make-up when I'm not playing but for a woman, the response is, 'oh, she's not focussed, or 'she's all only glamour,' or, 'she has no struggle.' The perception in India is that Indian sportspersons have to look down and out, and the more focused and sincere they are thought to be.
Your mother is Chinese. How does she see Lin Dan being different in a Chinese setup?
My mom loves Lin Dan because he's Chinese. She's very proud of her Chinese heritage. 'He's Chinese, so he has to be the best,' is the refrain. She once remarked that the Chinese performances have dipped of late because their mentality needs discipline. The dip is because they are trying to adapt to Western ideals. Off the court, there's been a relaxed manner to their approach for some years now. The majority of them need that kind of discipline because the government picks them up from nowhere.
I trained in China in 2002 and I saw the whole research that goes into their scouting process. They bring children from the poorest families, they see how tall their parents or grandparents are, they get their entire history. If they have any tall genes, they'd put them in basketball or volleyball. The amount of research was thorough and staggering. From the time that they first hold the racket to when they become national champions, sportspersons in China don't have to spend a single penny from their pocket. They're taken care of even after retirement.
With this kind of a background, for them to have an individuality like Lin Dan's is very difficult. It doesn't suit their nature, it can be very overwhelming.
On which aspect did Lin Dan dominate Lee Chong Wei in their famous duels?
It was always in the mind. Remember Lee Chong Wei has beaten Lin Dan many times, but in the big ones -- the World Championships and the Olympic finals -- there was a big change in Lin Dan mentally. You could see it. I felt Lin Dan was a smarter player. He knew how to save his energy. Lee Chong was smarter than other players, but he was very intimidated by Lin Dan. Half the stamina is drained when you get intimidated and when you get desperate.
Lin Dan would probably look sometimes like a lazy player. But he's not, he's just smart. He knew how to make the opponent run. He used to literally walk on court! You cannot walk on court unless you know which area of the court the opponent is going to return to. That may have looked so arrogant, but he's simply being clever. There are many champions but only a few legends.