NEW DELHI: In what could be a blow to the Indian contingent even before the main draw of the Yonex Sunrise India Open 2017 starts, one of the country’s hopes in women’s singles Tanvi Lad, could be all but out of the tournament owing to a foot injury.
The talented 24-year-old who featured in the Premier Badminton League last, might not be able to appear for her first round match against Japan’s Nazomi Okuhara.
Tanvi, who has been appealing for sponsors for more than a year, might choose not to play in the tournament, as there will be no financial support for her in case her injury is aggravated.
“I have been looking for sponsors for a really long time now. I have an injured foot and don’t think I will be able to compete in my round one match. Probably if I had some kind of financial backing, I would have played in the tournament.
But right now, I don’t have that kind of security. Though the doctor has given me clearance to play, I do not want to take any chances,” Tanvi told Express. What has reduced chances of Tanvi getting any kind of backing is the fact that she is not in the national camp anymore, where up-and-coming players usually train.
“After 2015, I haven’t been part of the national camp. That kind of hampers my chance of getting any support, but then even when I was there at the camp, there was no help from any corner.”
Once a Pullela Gopichand trainee, Tanvi now trains at Bangalore under the watchful eyes of Tom John, but is struggling hard to play in international tournaments due to her financial crunch.
“I think this tournament was an ideal opportunity to do well and grab some attention of the sponsors. But that doesn’t look like a possibility now. I usually have to target tournaments in India, because going to international tournaments will cost me a bomb. Also, if I need to improve my rankings, playing in India alone would not help,” Tanvi concluded.
madhav@newindianexpress.com