My journey in sports started in 1979 when I was 15 years old in Guwahati and my primary inspiration were my seniors. My then guru, Pradip Chaliha witnessed his debut and guided me in 1982 and in the category of under 15 I became the Sub Junior National Badminton Champion. In 1985, I became Junior National Champion in Srinagar and in 1986 I played Indian Senior Badminton team under the captainship of none other than the renowned Prakash Padukon and gradually I kept playing for my country. In the following year, I became India’s No. 1 Badminton player at Sr. level. 

Belonging from a middle class family, badminton was a costly game for me but I got support from my friends. To get a good pair of shoes, a good pair of rackets was a challenge for me. I still remember, we used to wear Tennis shoes which lasted only a month or so after rigorous practice sessions and it was extremely essential while playing badminton. 

In 1984, I was doing B.Com from Sree Ram College, Delhi which gave me immense opportunities and I progressed well. In 1986 I moved to London for better training under the contract of Wimbledon Racket and Squash Club, which is one of the most prestigious clubs I was invited to and I lived in London for a duration of one and a half years. I was also the second player to have such exposure at that point. It has always been a matter of pride to represent Assama and once I even represented Bengal in 1984-1985.