CHENNAI: Ever since Saina Nehwal's medal at the London Olympics in 2012, badminton has seen a massive transformation. The most popular recreational sport turned into a professional one as well. And it was visible everywhere. Take Chennai, for example. Suddenly every locality has a badminton academy with photos of Saina, PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and the double exponents, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, embossed on the walls; symbolising the rise of the game not just in the country but worldwide. Be it Olympics, World Championships or Thomas and Uber Cup, Indian shuttlers were making their presence felt with medal-winning performances.
Yet, as this year's Olympics approached, everything seemed to have dried up and touched its nadir at the Paris Olympics. For the first time since 2012, the country failed to capture an Olympic medal. At the BWF World Tour, none of the Indian singles players had managed to pocket a title until the recent Syed Modi International tournament. Barring Lakshya in a couple of events, it was largely an ordinary journey for most shuttlers in the singles department.
The heroics of Anmol Kharb and Ashmita Chaliha during India's historic victory at the Badminton Asia Team Championships at the start of the year was perhaps the biggest highlight.
Paris debacle
Among the losses in Paris, Lakshya's was the hardest to digest. He came agonisingly close. One game up and leading in the second against Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia, Lakshya fizzled out. Having returned with the gong in the previous three editions of the Games, this was a big blow for the country. Lakshya, despite blowing hot and cold in the build-up to Paris, showed why he's the best hope for the country going forward.
The toughest setback was perhaps the early exit of Satwiksairaj and Chirag, the men's doubles specialists who seemed to be following the textbook going into the Games. And they were playing at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena, a familiar venue where they had previously won twice (French Open) before. Earlier this year, they had reclaimed the World No 1 ranking and there was genuine buzz surrounding them. It would have been hard to bet against them. All that dissipated following their exit at the quarterfinal stage.
Sindhu's struggles
Sindhu is synonymous to the sport and has been a huge influence to many in the country. It's senseless to question her commitment, something that has fetched her countless medals over the years. However, there have been question marks in regards to her future. After her return from injury, she has toiled at the highest level. In the past, Sindhu would generally find a different gear in marquee events. Her decline is a genuine concern going forward. That is something that the Badminton Association of India (BAI), the governing body of the sport, has taken cognisance of and have been scratching their heads to find someone who can follow Sindhu and Saina's footsteps.
"When Sindhu is injured, we want other players to step up. That's our goal and we have been putting in programmes in place to help youngsters. We are hopeful that we can have multiple entries in each category," Sanjay Mishra, BAI secretary general, had told this daily earlier.
With that in mind, the BAI, in association with BWF (world body), brought in more international tournaments in the country so that the youngsters can get much-needed exposure. They have also focussed on coaching programmes in order to boost the talent pool. But that could be a process that takes patience.
As was evident in the recent Syed Modi International tournament, there's a clear gap between Sindhu, Lakshya and rest of the aspiring shuttlers who have been looking to establish their names at the highest level in the last few years or so. A coach from the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy felt that there's no decline in talent but the youngsters need to step up. As of BWF rankings (12/24/2024), Lakshya, at No 12, is the only Indian in the men's singles top-25. Sindhu, at No 15, is the only Indian in the women's equivalent.
"A couple of years back, it seemed like we were progressing very well. But off late, it doesn't seem like that. We're definitely struggling. We need to get better, start performing better," the coach noted.
"I don't think there's any other country that has this much talent. If you look at the boys' category, there are players like Sathish Kumar, Kiran George, Ayush Shetty, Rithvik Sanjeevi...on their day they can beat anybody. I won't say the top-10 or top-15 but against the top-30. They have the potential to beat them. The girls, a couple of them have done well recently, but the others need to step up," the coach added.
System reboot
In a diverse country like India, the system still struggles to cater to shuttlers, who could have the potential but don't have the means to grow as a professional. Take the case of Tamilnadu Badminton Association. With a lack of private sponsors, the federation barely manages to conduct the state competitions with the support of BAI. "As a TN federation, we don't work with any sponsors as it is very difficult to find one," VE Arunachalam, TNBA secretary and EC member of BAI, said.
"There is no money at the grassroots. When you become world champion or become World No 1, that's when you get crores and crores in your account. But to come to that level, there should be a system where young players are funded. With prize money of Rs 20,000, 30,000, how can a player survive?," he stated.
That is the reality that needs to be addressed. Come 2025, Indian shuttlers, especially youngsters, will be hoping for better days.