Badminton is a mandatory physical education activity in schools in Denmark. From preschool you can watch the little ones hit the rooster hard, a tradition that dates back to the 19th century.
Almost 10 thousand kilometers away, in Monterrey, Ramón Garrido debated whether to play soccer like his father or “try” a sport that in our country seems more recreational than professional.
«I learned about badminton when I was two years old, because my father (Marco Antonio Garrido) was in charge of racket sports at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL). At first it was a curiosity, but the arrival of a Chinese coach to the team made me decide on the rooster,” Garrido, who is a few days away from being officially selected for the Olympic Games for Paris 2024, shares with La Jornada.
No rivals
At the age of 13 he had no rival who could beat him in his category, so he decided to move to Denmark, a country where world championships and tournaments in the specialty are very popular.
«First I went to Canada at 13 and then I lived in Denmark between 16 and 23. My level increased a lot, because I played in one of the best leagues in the world and the speed of my shots exceeded 200 kilometers per hour. The differences with Mexico are many; For the Danes, badminton is part of their culture and they have many exponents of international stature, in addition, they enjoy great dissemination on a national scale,” explains the player, who currently occupies 29th place in the Olympic ranking.
«The first 35 qualify for the Games and there are no longer tournaments. It’s just a matter of waiting for it to become official on April 30. “I feel happy, assimilating what I achieved after such a winding road.”
Garrido not only overcame family separation to achieve the Olympic dream; He also faced rhabdomyolysis, a rare disease that had him on death’s door a few months after qualifying for the Rio 2016 Games.
«What I experienced will leave me marked for life. It was a very dark period in which my muscles were self-destructing and that was slowly killing my body. I urinated blood and released toxins that coursed through my blood vessels. I had kidney failure, my right kidney stopped working and the left one was at 50 percent,” he shares.
For almost a year, the athlete was torn between life and death, he had nocturnal microinfarcts so he moved to Spain to live with the only doctor who gave him hope.
«It took me a long time to recover and that is why I was not able to participate in the process towards the Tokyo Games. I lost confidence in myself and also strength. Fortunately, I am very stubborn and I did not want to retire without first living the great dream of being an Olympic team,” shared Garrido, the first Mexican to get on the podium at the Pan American Games (bronze in Santiago).
In addition to rhabdomolysis, the Mexican also overcame a broken knee that had him close to retirement. «I have had surgery eight times, many coaches and doctors told me that it was better not to play anymore. “It helped me a lot to work on my mentality and swear to myself that I would never abandon a goal.”
From less to more
In 2023, the man from Monterrey was ranked 400th in the ranking, so he had to play 21 tournaments and be nine months away from home to get the ticket to Paris.
“I had to play the qualification competitions to enter the main draw of the big competitions, only then could I add the number of points that were required.”
Financial support did not arrive for Garrido until he managed to get on the podium at the Central American and Pan American Games.
«My parents, my brothers and some businessmen bet on me, even when I was broken. They were in charge of paying for my stay in Denmark for years and also covering the monthly payment for the place where I trained. “I didn’t have a scholarship until 2023. I thought about retiring, but my pride in reaching my goal was stronger.”
Win a medal in Paris? Almost impossible. The team is aware that being among the best on the continent will not be enough merit to get on the podium. What he does commit to is putting Mexico on the international level.
«Of course I would love to get on the podium, but we have to put our feet on the ground. “What I’m looking for is to be the best Mexican who has participated in my discipline and add wins, because until now, no one has won a set.”
Although he has chronic pain as a result of an injured knee, Garrido will give one hundred percent to his preparation in recent months. His last competition before his debut in Paris will be the US Open in June.
The badminton player will be the second man to represent the country in a summer event after Lino Muñoz in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. In the women’s branch, Deyanira Angulo has participated, in Beijing 2008; Victoria Montero, in London 2012, and Haramara Gaytán, in 2020.
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2024-04-26 01:18:25
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