With her right arm cocked back, freshman Karthika Menon brings it forward, squarely hitting the shuttlecock on its cork head.
The birdie rockets across the net.
It’s the perfect shot as it lands harmlessly at the feet of her opponent.
It’s another point, in another win for Menon
While most people relax on Saturdays and Sundays, Menon has a different schedule as she plays on the advanced team at Frisco Badminton Academy.
“I love playing badminton as I am very ambitious and I want to further enhance my skill,” Menon said. “There is something about the sound the racket makes when I hit which makes me want to persevere more and do better!”
Introduced to badminton when she was seven, Menon has played competitively since she was 11-years-old.
“My dad has played it for many years and I played badminton for fun when I was young,” Menon said. “So when my family and I moved to Texas, I decided to start playing competitively and it has been awesome.”
Menon’s progress has gotten her dad’s attention.
“I am proud that she was selected to play on the advanced team (Team C Gold) and is even doing extremely well on that team,” dad Subash Ramachandran said. “I suspect that she will move up her ranks very fast.”
Beyond improving her ranking, playing badminton also comes with skill and benefits according to her coach at FBA.
“It is one of the best physical activities to stay fit and keep your body free from illness,” coaching director at Frisco Badminton Academy, Abhisek Ahlawat said. “It is a fun sport and keeps you sharp physically and mentally.”
For Menon, playing well also means developing new skills and hopefully making it to the highest team by the end of next year.
“My goal is to get into Team A so that I can play competitively at tournaments with scholarships for my skills,” Menon said.
However, for Ramachandran, he just hopes that his daughter continues to have fun playing the sport no matter what happens.
“I hope she is going to continue and persist playing the game while becoming a competitive badminton player in the future,” Ramachandran said. “However, the number one thing I want for her in the future is for her to be happy.”
