“Sankhya’s calm and collected demeanor on the court sets her apart as an athlete, while her supportiveness and understanding make her a standout team member,” Coach Hillary of the Wilcox Badminton team remarks.
In the bustling halls of Wilcox High, senior athlete Sankhya Gunda embodies the essence of resilience and teamwork with her academics and especially in badminton.
Reflecting on her journey with the sport, Gunda shares, “I initially started playing sports due to my brother. He was three years older than me.” While her brother’s influence ignited her passion for athletics, Gunda found herself enjoying badminton at first, even though she began getting really frustrated with the game over time. Despite initial setbacks, her transition to badminton opened up a new world of possibilities, setting her on this path.
Gunda recollects that her decision to apply for schooling at Wilcox instead of Santa Clara initially stemmed from her knowledge that “Wilcox has always had a history of having better athletics, and academics,” receiving a green light from her parents. Now, Sankhya Gunda plays Varsity1, the highest tier at Wilcox. Gunda affirms that her motivation to excel individually included her wishes to get better and improve herself as a player and person, revealing, “I really enjoy the rush I feel when I hit a difficult shot, or win a game.” Alternatively, Gunda also mentions that, “As a team player, I love seeing the faces of my teammates when they make a good play, or are just overall happy with themselves.”
As part of Wilcox’s varsity team for her third year, Gunda shares moments of resilience and determination. “I played V1 Girls Doubles last year, and our opponents were very difficult all throughout, and so far we hadn’t won a single game. However, when me and my partner got on court, we decided to just try our hardest and win,” Gunda explains. She goes on to share that, “At first the score was clearly in their favor, and we started to lose morale. However, after a pep talk from our coach, we decided to keep going, as the game wasn’t over yet…We won our first game that year, and everyone was so happy and proud of us.” This determined side of Sankhya seems to be well appreciated, as Coach Hillary shares that, “Sankhya’s modesty and strong mentality sets her apart from other athletes on the team.”
Going on to ask Gunda about how she approaches and challenges in her athletic career, Gunda expresses that, “Honestly anytime I notice I make a mistake or could have done something differently, I take time to self-reflect. Especially after a game, me and my partner typically sit down and talk about how our game went, what we did well, and what we could’ve done better or improved upon.” Gunda goes on to explain , “We then of course talk to our coaches to see what they thought, and if it aligned with that we reflected upon as well. When we have practice the next day, we talk to the coaches about what we want to work on and drill those, until we are able to fix the mistakes we made before.” Coach Hillary seems to agree , sharing that, “She understands and advocates for the team’s needs but acknowledges the coaches’ decisions if they differ. Even during a tough match, she manages to preserve good sportsmanship for herself, her opponents, and her partner.”
Gunda reveals that she still doesn’t know if she will pursue Badminton in college, and that sadly, many colleges don’t offer a team considering its lack of popularity. She expresses that what she does know is that she “will always play it whenever I can, even if it’s less frequent.” Gunda contends that regardless of where her oath may lead, one thing remains certain: she will continue to enjoy playing badminton.
