Time for India to find next Sindhu
There were stories of triumphs and heartbreaks during the World Championships in Tokyo last week. There were also tales of history, like our men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. They ensured India returned with a medal this time too, which the country has been managing since 2011 (with women’s doubles bronze). The heartening side of Satwik-Chirag bronze is they have opened a new frontier: men’s doubles. And their performance graph is moving north effortlessly.
Otherwise, it was a modest tournament in the Indian context, especially in the women’s. The quest to identify replacements for the likes of Olympic medallists P V Sindhu and Saina Nehwal continues. To put things into perspective, Sindhu won five World Championship medals since 2013, including a gold. She did not participate this time due to injury, while Saina, 32, lost in the pre-quarters. The new crop of singles players is far from the top. It’s time the Badminton Association of India (BAI) and its think tank re-strategise and invest in a long-term plan, focussing on a wide range of players from different parts of the country. More exposure to elite events would also be crucial for grooming them for bigger challenges.
India will be hosting two international challengers this year, and hopefully, this will help the youngsters gain confidence and, crucially, ranking points. We are among the top badminton nations in the world, but to maintain dominance in this gruelling sport, we must collectively persevere and pursue excellence.
At some level, winning just one medal is a step down from the two India won—in the men’s singles—in 2021. The obvious inference is that in 2021, the Worlds was held very late in the season, and there were withdrawals after the Olympics. In men’s singles, though the competition and draw are critical, consistency needs to be looked into. With another Worlds scheduled next year, doing well for the likes
of Lakshya Sen is important before the 2024 Paris Olympics. It’s a case of the glass being half-full or half-empty, but if India is to ensure there is always some water remaining, it must keep medalling.