BENGALURU: The Badminton Association of India (BAI) seems to be going in overdrive mode for the promotion of badminton in the country. This seems to be coming from the fact that the Premier Badminton League 2 is being welcomed well by the Indian public.
A few years ago, the National ranking tournaments and National Championships were all the players had to prove themselves. With a couple of leagues with international players in the mix already materialising, a league with only domestic players is being thought about.
“We are planning a domestic league and that will be only for Indian players. We will see to it that all players will take part in the league, be it Saina or Sindhu. This will include the junior players too,” said Badminton Association of India president Akhilesh Das Gupta. The intention is to expose junior players to higher standards of badminton.
“In the PBL, we have added junior players in the teams, players who are below the age of 13. They are not playing but practicing with the star players, sharing the dressing room with them and attending team practice sessions. They are travelling with the star players and we are giving them this opportunity as they can be the future of our country,” he added.
In fact, the BAI is seeking a separate window for the PBL from the Badminton World Federation (BWF). “We have already written to the BWF to have a separate window, something like December 20 this year to January 15 next year,” he stated, while adding that there might be eight teams next year and that they may have games in more venues. The BAI seems to be very interested in strengthening the domestic coaching system too. To do that, the BAI has roped in the services of seven international coaches.
“It has been approved and they will begin coaching by February but we might add more. There will be a couple of coaches for Bangalore, Lucknow and Hyderabad as well.”
The BAI has begun another project in the Karnataka town of Udupi. “The Udupi District Badminton Association has been given `5 lakh as starting fund to improve the Ajjarakadu Stadium where there could be an academy. An addition `5 lakh was given to spot talent.”
vivekphadnis@newindianexpress.com