MUMBAI: On Sunday, Tommy Sugiarto had more on his mind than deceptive drops. The 30-year-old Indonesian had woken up to the news of another devastating tsunami in his country.

On Saturday night, around 9:30 pm Indonesian local time, it had hit the coastal towns of southern Sumatra and West Java.

It is believed that the tidal wave was caused by undersea landslides after the Anak Krakatoa volcano erupted. More than 200 people have been reported dead so far.

“I saw the news in the morning,” said Sugiarto on the sidelines of Premier Badminton League.

“Only two months ago, I was at the same place with my family. And now this has happened. It is really sad. We should pray for Anak and Indonesia.” He paused before adding: “This happens often in Indonesia.”

Only in September, more than 2,000 people lost their lives when an earthquake struck the island of Sulawesi and set off a tsunami.

“I couldn’t really focus on the match today,” said World No 9 Sugiarto.

The Delhi Dashers shuttler lost 13-15, 7-15 to Danish youngster Anders Antonsen of Mumbai Rockets.

“I tried to fight in the first game. But in the second, I just couldn’t find my rhythm. I didn’t have the right mindset.”

The Indonesian, who has been a regular feature at the year-ending event, is the highest-paid non-icon player. Dashers had signed him on for `70 lakh. Back home in badminton-crazy Indonesia, he is known more as the son of former world champion and 1988 Olympic silver-medallist Icuk Sugiarto. “Badminton is very big in Indonesia, and people expect a lot,” says Tommy Sugiarto, who belonged to the generation that succeeded the great Taufik Hidayat.

“And there was always pressure on me because of who my father is. But he always told me to only think positive, and not take it in the wrong way. Because of him, I understood early on how important mental and physical preparation is. Now, I am somewhat used to pressure. But my dad never really saw any of my matches because he gets very nervous. Even I get nervous when I know he is in the stadium.”

While Icuk won the 1983 World Championship in Copenhagen, Tommy had to settle for a bronze at the 2014 World Championship.

“Whenever we play for fun, he always reminds me that he won gold. Maybe If I was the one that won gold, I would do the same,” quips Surgiarto, affording himself a rare smile on a sombre day.

Quiet Start

The revamped NSCI Dome has become a popular kabaddi venue in Mumbai, but this league has mostly flown under the radar.

On the opening night, Saturday, the clash between PV Sindhu and Carolina Marin was able to fill at least half of the 5000-odd seats. But the crowd response for Sunday, a double-header, was lukewarm. The noisiest sections at the venue were the team dugouts.

Even the VIP sections, whose tickets are generally complimentary, were neither full nor vocal. There were no fans lining up for tickets that are priced from Rs 499 to Rs 2,999.