When India lifted the historic Thomas Cup in 2022, doubles specialist Hariharan Amsakarunan from Tamil Nadu was not yet a prominent figure in the country’s badminton circles. But, inspired by that triumph, Hariharan wanted to be part of the national team in the Thomas Cup at least once. Four years on, that dream turned into reality.The 22-year-old not only made his debut but also played a part in India’s bronze medal-winning campaign in Horsens, Denmark, becoming the first player from the state to be part of a Thomas Cup team. While India lost 0-3 to France in the semifinals, it was India’s second-ever medal in the tournament’s 77-year history. Hariharan partnered with MR Arjun, and the world No 34 pair registered two wins and one loss in the group stage.“In 2022, I wanted to be at least part of the Indian team, and now I am happy to have won a medal. Ayush Shetty and I were making our maiden appearances, while the rest were experienced and had played in this team event earlier. I gained a lot of experience and understood the nuances of the game. Those should help me perform better going forward,” Hariharan told TOI from Horsens.While badminton is largely an individual sport with a packed calendar, teams hardly have time to gel before major events. For this edition of the Thomas Cup, the Indian side assembled a week before the competition in Denmark to acclimatise to the conditions.“I feel one of the main reasons for us winning the medal was our team bonding. We supported each other, regardless of whether we were juniors or seniors or whether we played in a tie. Our first rule was that partners should not be roommates. So, Prannoy and I stayed together, which helped us get to know each other. We motivated each other from the sidelines, and that was a major plus,” says Hariharan.The absence of Lakshya due to an elbow injury in the semifinals hurt India, but the team was confident of making the final. “We thought that if we could manage one win in singles, we would be in a strong position to win the fourth and fifth matches in doubles. Unfortunately, things did not go as expected.”To reach this level, Hariharan, whose father runs a small travel agency, had to overcome several challenges. In his early years, he trained with plastic shuttlecocks for four years as he could not afford feather ones. As state tournaments are only played with feather cocks, he would buy them a week before competitions and practice. He also had to borrow money to travel to national-level events.“It was difficult for me to play with feather shuttlecocks in tournaments because the dynamics of the game are different from when you use plastic ones. I would lose in the first or second rounds,” he says.Back then, says Hariharan, Mannargudi had only two badminton courts, and he paid `200 for training. “My sister, a badminton player, inspired me to take up the sport.”Hariharan won multiple titles in singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles at a stretch at the U-17 state level, but once the competition became tougher at the national stage, he left singles in U-19 and focused only on doubles.“Slowly, I received help from sponsors, and Ruban Kumar and I shifted from Coimbatore to the Gopichand Academy in 2022. Now, with my income, I can look after my family,” says Hariharan.Hariharan and TN’s Ruban played together for nearly eight years before splitting up in 2025. Before parting ways, they competed in the Sudirman Cup in the absence of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Under the instructions of Tan Kim Her and Pullela Gopichand, Hariharan teamed up with Arjun, and the duo has since enjoyed a successful run, winning multiple titles.Hariharan hopes to see many more players from the state representing India. A part of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) Elite scheme, he feels stronger support can help TN produce more badminton players.
