“During crucial points, when he asks me to do something, I don’t think twice, I just do it. That is the trust I have,” Prannoy says.

As chief national coach since 2006, and before that as a private coach, Gopichand, 49, has groomed a generation of shuttlers, some of them since they were about six years old.

“He has known me for 15 years,” Prannoy says. “It is very important to have that kind of equation. He has been a player and has sat in (as coach) for big medal matches. It makes a big difference when he gives you certain inputs in a crunch situation.”

Known for his unyieldingly strict regimens and for being a tough taskmaster, Gopichand once famously said: “You can’t produce champions in a democracy.”

The former All England champion’s methods have made badminton one of only two disciplines (the other being wrestling) in which India has won medals at each of the last three Olympics. India has also won at least one medal at every World Championships since 2011, and claimed the historic Thomas Cup crown last year.

“He needs to be a little strict simply because of the exposure nowadays; social media and what not. There are a lot of distractions and a little check is required,” says 2014 Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap, 36.

He doesn’t indulge unreasonable dreams, Kashyap adds. He is blunt, but you can trust him to be honest. If he isn’t elated at wins, it’s because he wants players to remember where the bar is.

Kashyap remembers the cheers and praise when he became the first Indian male to reach the Olympic quarterfinals, in 2012. “Gopi Sir told me he didn’t think I had achieved anything. ‘This is your normal level, the standard you need to maintain at all times,’ he said. That statement just opened my mind because I was thinking it was a huge result, because everyone was talking about it.”

Crucially, Kashyap says, Gopichand’s statement made him feel like he belonged at the elite level. “For three years, I barely lost in the earlier rounds. I maintained my ranking in the Top 8, because of that mindset.”

Gopichand towers over his proteges in training and at practice, but there is a caring side to him too, players say.

“Without a doubt, Gopi Sir has played the biggest role in my career. I joined his academy when I was only eight. From the start, he has been watching over me, guiding me. And not just on court. Off the court too he has taken care of me as if I was his son,” says Priyanshu Rajawat, 21, who was on the team that won the 2022 Thomas Cup, and is being groomed with special focus by Gopichand as the possible next big thing in Indian badminton. “From simple things like taking care of my diet and nutrition, to asking me to meditate for greater peace and focus, to ensuring that I understand that if I do all this, it will also help me improve on court too… If not for him, I wouldn’t be the player I am today.”