Sridhar's athletic odyssey

“That victory was one of the few occasions in the history of the university that the computer science department won a cricket game over the physical education department.” This vivid memory recounted by Sridhar took place in 1997 at the Pondicherry Central University, in southern India, where he was studying for a Master’s in computer applications.

Sridhar had been a keen cricket player for as long as he could remember. “Neighbours, friends…we all played cricket, all day long.” He took his passion seriously and ended up playing in the fourth national league (out of 5), before following the woman who would become his wife to Paris in the early 2000s. 

“In Paris, there was no cricket. It was difficult to even explain the rules.” The semi-pro cricket bowler had to find a new hobby. He turned to badminton by chance, with no other goal than to make friends and stay active, and began practicing at the weekends within a very active Vietnamese and Cambodian community

For the next 15 years, life happened. Sridhar had little time for badminton as he navigated personal and professional changes, including a divorce. In 2017 he moved to Geneva to join Pictet as a trading solutions architect. It took him two years to adapt to his new life, during which sports was out of the equation.

An interesting twist of fate brought him back to the badminton courts: the sight of a broken badminton racket. “I was having a beer at Lady Godiva, my go-to pub to watch football and cricket. A guy walks past me carrying a mangled racket. I was intrigued, so I stopped him and asked what had happened.” The conversation started and just like that, Sridhar found himself a badminton coach.

After two years of regular training to get in shape, he began competing and his remarkable journey began. In 2022, he graced the podium of every tournament he participated in. This propelled Sridhar higher within the league, until ultimately reaching his current status of semi-professional player in the ‘over 45s’ category. In April 2024, after months of rigorous training for up to 10-12 hours per week alongside a new coach, Sridhar claimed the gold medal in the Swiss Senior Championship, in the highly competitive Top A/B category for over 45s.

“My second match in the championship was against the same player who had eliminated me in the quarter finals last year. I was determined to win. It was a dog fight. The match lasted one hour and five minutes.” In badminton, the usual length is closer to 25-30 minutes. “It was a very tiring match, but I made it and carried on to win the championship.” At that level, winning is clearly not a question of chance. It was Sridhar’s well-defined training plan and his dogmatic determination that won him the cup. On the eve of the championship, at 7pm he was the last soul still practicing moves on the court. 

His fastidious routine resides in “striking a proper balance between doing things right and doing the right thing." He explains: “Badminton is all about pronation and supination* . How you use your forearm, wrist, the position of your shoulders, elbow, knee, hips, feet, every millimetre counts. So when you play certain shots, it’s about how fast you can play and come back to the starting position before taking the next shot. In training you work on your agility, explosivity, flexibility, and consistency so that on the court, your shots become easier and you don't exhaust yourself too quickly.” In some of his training sessions, Sridhar repeats the same moves for 45 minutes, until he reaches perfection. 

He could be described as a rational performer, setting himself precise targets and giving his all to succeed. There’s no room for ritual or luck, only a neutral approach against his opponent: “nothing that could reveal my level of fatigue or irritation.” As a player over 45, consistency, regularity, but also endurance and agility are essential. 

Sridhar will be trying his luck at the European Senior Championships in Brussels at the end of August 2024. We wish him the very best and, failing lucky stars, we know he can rely on his ethos: “There’s no magic; the more hours you train, the better your results.”

When he’s not on the badminton court, Sridhar is a Technical Architect for Custody & Trading, in the Technology & Operations division. 

Cook a South Indian meal

Sridhar's love for South Indian recipes is driven by his longing for the flavours of home. He shares here a special fried rice recipe developed through a dedicated process of trial and error. “With 95% of Indian restaurants in Switzerland specialising in North Indian cuisine, the best way to recreate the taste of home is by preparing it myself.”

Ingredients: 

• Coconut fat for the real deal or sunflower oil (2 table spoons)
• Set aside these dry ingredients: cinnamon bark (2 cm), star anise (1), bay leaf (1), cardamom (1), cloves (1), half a teaspoon of  each: crushed coriander seeds, salt, pepper, cumin seeds, full tablespoon of crushed fennel seeds
• Add the following in a mixer: 5 garlic cloves, ginger (1/2 cm), 10 coriander leaves, 4 mint leaves, half a green chilli, onion and tomato
• Main ingredients to use -> 10 finely cut beans, 2 finely cut carrots and 1 cup of rice 

Cooking: 

• Heat the oil (standard cooking temperature – do not over heat). Start with the dry ingredients, stir fry for 2 minutes, and add the chopped content from the mixer. Stir fry for another 3 minutes. Finally add the veggies and the rice for browning (5 minutes).
• Once done, add 3/4 - 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 9 - 10 minutes (use a pressure cooker for this step).
• Season to taste before serving: chopped coriander leaves and finely cut spring onions (optional)