India shuttler Tanisha Crasto said that after her turbulent Olympic debut in Paris reuniting with fellow shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa with a renewed approach led to their triumph at the Guwahati Masters.
Crasto said not taking a break after the Paris Olympics was a "mistake."
The duo lost three straight games and then made a group exit in the 2024 games. However, they bounced back to put up a show in the Guwahati Masters Super 100 title on Sunday.
"It's been a tough transition after the Olympics for everyone, including me and Didi (Ashwini). I made the mistake of not taking a break, and it left me emotionally drained. But Didi took a huge break, and when we reunited, we focused on enjoying the game,” the 21-year-old said.
"We decided not to think about results, just to go out there and enjoy ourselves. And when we did that, the results followed," continued Crasto.
The Paris Olympics was a challenging chapter for Tanisha and all other Indian shuttlers as India returned without a medal for the first time in 12 years.
"It hurts because you’re there, representing your country, and when things don’t go your way, it’s tough to process... I didn’t take a break after the Olympics, thinking it would help me snap out of it. But as a person, I was a mess, dealing with insane emotions”, she said.
For her 35-year-old partner Ashwini, the Olympics marked an emotional turning point as well, as she announced that the 2024 Olympics was her last ever.
"We cried together during an interview, and even the interviewer was moved to tears,” Tanisha recalled.
"It was a mix of emotions, but it strengthened our bond”, she added.
Tanisha also had a runners-up finish alongside her mixed doubles partner Dhruv Kapila going down to Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampra in a tough three-game battle at the Syed Modi International Super 300 event in Lucknow earlier this month.
"We had a very tough draw since the first match," maintained Tanisha.
However, Dhruv (Kapila), who was recovering from an ankle tear, and even then he pulled through finals with Tanisha said, "I’m proud of."
"They (Dechapol and Supissara) caught us off guard in the final two games. And they changed the whole game," added Tanisha.
"And Dechapol being a very, very experienced player, he's won several titles. I think he managed the pressure of the game. And he controlled the game very well in the second and third," continued Tanisha.
“Could we have won? Yes, 100 per cent. Did we do enough in the second and third games? No. But I’m proud of how we played overall, especially considering Dhruv’s injury,” maintained Tanisha.
As 2024 wraps up, Tanisha is already setting her sights on the challenges of 2025.
“Our first big goal is the Malaysia Super 1000, and we’re going all in... Ashwini and I are likely to be seeded, so it’s an important start to the year," shared Tanisha.
The youngster shared her dream of doing well at marquee events like the All England Championships, World Championships, and the 2026 Asian Games.
“I think every tournament is something that we wish to do something great... We're eyeing out for the All England, the World Championships, and also the Asian Games in 2026. So these are the bigger goals as of now," Tanisha concluded.
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