The present seems aimless and the future uncertain. Indian badminton is struggling to stay afloat like rarely before. Recurring injuries, a loss of form and a slide in rankings underline the fact that our shuttlers are lacking the much-required spark in their games. India’s predicament was evident during the just-concluded BWF Sudirman Cup in China, where they failed to get past the group stage. The outcome was far from a surprise, as the shuttlers, a reliable lot in the past, have been treading on uncomfortable territory where the wins have dwindled. In the Thomas and Uber cups, too, they struggled to get past the quarterfinals. Seniors like P V Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and H S Prannoy seem to be lacking the minerals needed at the highest level of the sport.
It’s a culmination of a number of factors—some within the players’ control, some beyond. For one, there have been regular injuries. But the bigger worry should be that the game has been constantly evolving, with several new faces at the top level bringing a different kind of challenge to the court. China, considered a benchmark in the sport, have moved on after their top player He Bingjiao, the Paris Olympics silver medallist, retired. They now have as many as four players in the top 15. India, on the other hand, have not focused beyond the three seniors. There must be bench strength beyond Sindhu, 29, and Prannoy, 32.
It’s no secret to the Badminton Association of India, which has been trying to build an ecosystem to help young talents prosper. It must introspect now. The system that had produced Olympic and world championship medallists is no longer good enough. Since Tokyo 2020, apart from Lakshya and the doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, there has been a long lull. The youngsters who were expected to step up have struggled at the elite level. The few who have had sporadic wins are developing at a slow pace. Keeping in sight the Asian Games next year and the Olympics in 2028, the BAI must take hard decisions now, even if they seem not too popular with players or some coaches. To find success again, a few sacrifices have to be made first.