Inayat Gulati (14) is giving Punjab another presence on the international badminton stage as she is representing India at the Junior Asia Badminton Championship in China.Hailing from Phagwara, Inayat first picked up a badminton racket at the age of seven. With no sporting background in the family, her parents initially enrolled her in sports simply to ensure she had an activity beyond academics and to help her stay fit.Little did they know that badminton would soon become an inseparable part of her life and that their daughter would go on to become a champion.Inayat began training in Phagwara and, at a young age, emerged as a district champion. Encouraged by her progress and keen to give her greater exposure, her parents later enrolled her at Ratti Badminton Academy, run by international badminton player Sachin Ratti in Jalandhar.Since then, there has been no looking back for the young shuttler.Her journey has also been one of constant parental support. Inayat’s father Gagan Gulati, who runs a showroom in Phagwara, had accompanied her to tournaments and training sessions over the years. However, her trip to China with the Indian team marks a new milestone, as it is the first time she has travelled for an international assignment without either parent accompanying her.”It is for the first time that she has gone with the Indian team without either her father or me accompanying her. Until now, her father would always be with her and accompany her to tournaments,” said her mother, Shivani Gulati.For Shivani, Inayat’s sporting journey has been about much more than medals and championships. She believes sport has brought a noticeable change in her daughter’s personality and sharpened her cognitive abilities.”Sports can change the personality completely. The mind gets sharper, and the ability to grasp things also improves a lot,” Shivani said.From taking up badminton as a seven-year old activity to earning a place in India’s junior team, Inayat’s journey is surely inspirational. Recently, Hoshiarpur’s Tanvi Sharma also clinched her maiden BWF World Tour and won the women’s singles crown at the Taipei Open Super 300 badminton tournament.