It can be argued that India’s biggest disillusionment at Paris 2024 was badminton. Not just because of our track record in the Olympics, but also the stature of the sport in the country. Barring Lakshya Sen, there was nothing to cheer about this time. The celebrated men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu and all others faltered.
It’s a sport that has given India a medal at every Olympics since the London bronze won by Saina Nehwal. It gave belief to millions to pursue the sport as a serious profession and, just like shooting, boxing and wrestling after the 2008 Olympics, sparked a revolution. Sindhu followed with a silver in Rio and a bronze in Tokyo.
Systems were in place with checks and balances. P Gopichand, the coach connected with her success, was at the centre of the revival. Other players improved, too. Taking a cue from the women, the men’s team started doing well. Money started to flow into the sport. There were more coaches, support staff and practice partners. One can even say the sport suffered from a largesse that was, by the admission of some top officials, unaccounted for at times.
Things started to change after Tokyo 2020. By Badminton Association of India’s own admission, there were times when coaches and officials were kept in the dark about the training and competition schedule. There were instances when, with the help of NGOs, some players competed in events the federation did not want them to. This definitely does not augur well for the sport. The BAI, Sports Authority of India and other stakeholders must work together and not independently.
What seemed to be a greater worry is the lack of depth in the men’s and women’s teams. There has to be a pool of 40 players to work in each category. As of now, India does not have that luxury. Next-gen players have not been good enough to fill in the shoes of Sindhu or Kidambi Srikanth. In doubles, too, India need to find another pair at least as good as Satwik-Chirag. With the next Olympics in Los Angeles just four years ahead, all stakeholders must start the rebuilding process now.