Passion, grit and fun

WHAT'S IN YOUR... ...LUGGAGE?

As with any 24-year-old, you would expect Anup Sridhar, one of our rising stars in badminton, to be brand-savvy. True to expectation, Sridhar says he has everything — from Tommy Hilfiger to the iPhone. And now, he has a desire to own his dream set of wheels, too. Sridhar has been in the top 25 in the world badminton rankings, peaking at 24. So, owning the hot wheels should become a reality soon. But right now, the player is nursing a painful wrist injury, at home in Bangalore. However, his time there is proving to be a much-needed breather, since he mostly lives out of his suitcase, travelling incessantly to participate in tournaments. Aabhas Sharma checks out his luggage.

THE ESSENTIALS FIRST
“I am not a heavy packer. I just carry the basic essentials, the clothes that I will wear as well as sporting equipment,” he says. But the rest of the room in his luggage is reserved for three things that he never travels without — his “prized” Hewlett Packard laptop, the iPhone that’s one of his latest big buys, and his i-Pod, which is loaded with hundreds of videos, apart from having all his favourite music. It’s the gadget that helps break the monotony of travel. “I can’t live without my iPod. I make sure that I always have it with me,” he says.

FOR RECREATION
Sridhar also sometimes carries along a host of DVDs, including ones that have sitcoms such as Friends stored on them. “When you are away on international duty, it becomes difficult to kill time when you aren’t playing or training.”

THE FIT KIT
In his training kit, one finds a skipping rope, two thera bands (one for the ankle and the other for all other parts of the body), and a wrist strengthener, apart from his usual playing gear, which consists of a pair of T-shirts and shorts.

LOYALTIES...
As with most badminton players, Sridhar swears by the brand Yonex. Most of the sporting equipment he uses is by that manufacturer. “I am extremely comfortable with Yonex, as they make the best equipment, and there are not many alternatives around.”

When it comes to shoes, Sridhar keeps it simple and carries several pairs. As for brands, “I stick to basic ones. I am not into any particular brand when it comes to shoes,” he says. Casual wear comprises a few pair of utility Levi’s jeans, though his favourite brand is Tommy Hilfiger. Esprit is another brand which he favours.

KEEPING IT SIMPLE
Sridhar’s only wrist accessory is a heart-rate monitor by Polar, apart from a pair of Oakley sunglasses that go in his bag. “I don’t wear them too often, though,” he says.

HIS DESIRE
He drives a Maruti Suzuki SX4, but wouldn’t mind indulging. His dream machine is the Audi R8. “There is nothing better than driving a good car at the end of a day.”