It finally took her mother to persuade Aparna Popat to attend the pre-Commonwealth Games camp in Indonesia and it looks like she may have taken the right decision in the end. Her spat with coach Vimal Kumar is pretty much alive, but practising in East Jakarta, she has been left pretty much alone.

Talking to The Indian Express from Jakarta, Aparna said that there was nothing new in the training schedule there. “It’s the same old methods packaged differently. The only good thing is the practice sessions we are having against top Indonesian players. So far, it’s been okay here with not too much interference and I am hoping to be in the right frame of mind once I reach Melbourne,” she said.

Expectedly, Aparna keeps her distance from Vimal and vice-versa. The national coach is aware that irrespective of his differences with Aparna, she stands the best chance of winning a medal having already done so in the last two editions.

Moreover, Badminton Association of India (BAI) president V K Verma’s assurance to the player about her well-being also seems to be more than just words.

This is Vimal’s last assignment before his three-year term concludes and the coach would be loath to rub people the wrong way.