Gopi on Saina’s ‘maar doongi’ attitude and more by T S Sudhir Oct 22, 2012 (T S Sudhir is the author of Saina Nehwal’s biography, that released in July 2012) http://www.firstpost.com/sports/gopi-on-sainas-maar-doongi-attitude-and-more-499145.html Excerpt: ...For Gopi, there are important takeaways from the performance of his two leading girls. Both Saina and P V Sindhu have beaten top Chinese players this year, which will only give more courage to fellow players. Impossible is nothing is indeed the mantra that these wins will drill into more young Indian minds.
Its one those useless debates that compares people different eras who have nothing in common... almost.. Its totally unfair...
Now, IPL-type Indian Badminton League Biswajyoti Brahma, TNN Oct 24, 2012 http://articles.timesofindia.indiati...on-association Excerpts: The IBL, based on a franchise model and tentatively scheduled to be held from January 20 to February 11 next year, would have $1 million (approx Rs 5.5 crore) as prize money, the highest for any badminton tournament in the world, sources close to the event told TOI on Tuesday. ...Sources said the event, which will have six city-based franchises, would try to rope in top players from countries like China, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia and other country with "hefty appearance fees". Former India stars like Pullela Gopichand and Pradeep Gandhe are part of the governing council of the IBL which has BAI's president Akhilesh Das Gupta as chairman. Badminton legend Prakash Padukone has been approached to come on board as an advisor. BAI has asked Sporty Solutionz Pvt Limited to plan and execute the event. Sources said the IBL organizers are planning to rope in Bollywood stars like Aamir Khan and Deepika Padukone, daughter of Prakash, besides former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, a former member of the IPL governing council. "Aamir is known to be an avid badminton fan and has always encouraged Saina (Nehwal), while Deepika not only carries the famous Padukone surname but was a state-level player herself," sources said. They added that Aamir was most likely to be offered the 'brand ambassador' role for IBL and Deepika will most probably be one of the city-based franchisee owners. "Gavaskar is being approached to play a big role in the IBL." ..."We are holding this tournament with some goals in mind. First, it's aimed at creating more and more opportunities for Indian players. Then, it will help participation of top players in India which is good for the sport in the country. It will also help upcoming players as they would be getting a chance to play the world's top stars," said Gandhe, winner of two bronze medals in the 1982 Asian Games. Times View The launch of a badminton league along the lines of the IPL is a most welcome development. Along with the fact that India had its largest haul of medals at the recent Olympics, it is a sign of the fact that the country is beginning to make strides in sports other than cricket.
Even i have heard some league kind of thing happened recently in chennai. I dont know the details. But i have heard the same. Let the IPL come and boost the affinity towards badminton in our country to maximum. This is what i want. Hereafter no one country should dominate this lovable sport. I wish this to happen soon and encourage the badminton lovers to the core. But i hope no money loitering, match fixing , bookies etc etc should be allowed as if it happened in cricket in recent times. I am seeing no much distance in grabbing a yellow colour medal for this lovable sport in our country in the years to come. May be 3 indians in 1,2,3 positions. Thats what is my dream.
Thankfully to Gopichand and Saina we still have few good prospects in singles and these singles have been carrying India into world stage of badminotn, India could be considered just below the Top 5 nations of the world so far just on the strength of singles players(we do have a few just about their kind of doubles players ofcourse)but unless the doubles category also takes a leaf from the singles players India can never be a power. there are 3 categories for doubles and India lacks in all the three... IMO the doubles game happens to be much more exciting due to the pace of the game and is easier from a single player per-se as it gives one player some time to breath in between. Unless a few good doubles player rise up we can not be a serious contenders in team cups... which also contribute to show the strength of a country... Hopefully this league takes care of this aspect as well...
i agree. In my opinion India was good in the doubles just because of Jwala Gutta, but now that she is not playing, things are not looking good for Indian badminton team. We need more players like her. I think most people just go for singles and don't take attention of doubles.
A very nice article! ... Worth a read!! .. The game we grew up with "Bookworm", October 28, 2012 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/10/28/the-game-we-grew-up-with/ Some excerpts: Kids today are born with a Playstation in one hand and an iPhone in other. But for us, who grew up in the 90s, having a self-owned cricket set or badminton racket was the coolest thing in the world. At that time, when there were no dedicated cartoon channels on TV, video games owned by a few, computers even rarer and internet a make-believe world, parents insisted on their children getting fresh air every evening. So every kid – fat or thin, good or bad, shy or mischievous – assembled at the local park or ground or any tiny space in his/her colony and played good old-fashioned games that supplied their daily dose of exercise. ...Badminton is more of a childhood game that we played as kids, locally or in school or at picnics and outings. For the most part, our badminton rackets lie in some secluded corner of the house or over the cupboard gathering dust.But thanks to one young woman, kids today at least “know” badminton. ...Such is the Saina effect that the BAI (Badminton Association of India) has planned to launch the IBL (Indian Badminton League), a million-dollar event, to encourage interest in the game. The IBL is supposed to take place between January 20 and February 11 next year with $ 1 million as prize money. ...IBL might be a big hit next year. However, its true test would be whether it is able to prolong the interest of the Indian psyche for more than just one season. Talented players like Saina Nehwal carry on their shoulders the onus to glamorize badminton and confer on it the respect it deserves. And mere commoners like us bear the responsibility to revere and acknowledge the game that we all grew up with… And this one comment posted by a contributor on the article page: Ram Mohan Andol · Founder at Vision Adventure WHAT IS BADMINTON: It is the only game that requires the following: 1. The Agility of an Acrobat (Gymnast). 2. The Killer instinct of a Panther. 3. The Accuracy of a Marksman. 4. The Power of a Racehorse. 5. The Speed of a Sprinter. 6. The Stamina of a Marathon Runner. Embrace Badminton into your lifestyle and your world would change!
I actually want BAI to complete the auctions as early as possible and then promote IBL as many still haven't heard of it even.It would be interesting whether the billionaires who fought hard for IPL teams would show interest in IBL or not....
The good thing with badminotn is it still has presence through out the country, though mostly in the backyards, but yes people do love it and is one of the most played sports, I know a couple of my female friends who have never played cricket but badminton almost everybody did... Sorry I mistook your comments about many havent heard of it to be regarding the sports while it seems to be for IBL... IMO The fate of Badminton league wouldnt be like hockey as we are having good results internationally and they need to come in to push the growth of sports, the IBL needs to be shown on TV may be giving the telecast rights to Dordarshan could help here, also it should be given imortance at school levels if thats there there would be no stopping.......
[h=1]IBL to be held in June-July[/h] http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_ibl-to-be-held-in-june-july_1759927
Indian Badminton league to be launched on NOV 10. http://www.firstpost.com/sports/indian-badminton-league-to-start-on-10-november-516618.html SO, here it comes...Wow I am pretty much excited about this.The thing I still wanted to know is that whether there will be auctions as in Ipl as they always said that this league would be similar to that of IPL.The auctions might actually increase the weekly average wage during the league as auction style has taken Ipl the second highest average weekly paying league only behind NBA.I would actually prefer it to be broad casted in ESPN or starsports rather than Neo sports which is currently broadcasting the super series as many cable operators doesn't actually show NEO sports.
Yes. Definitely deserves a separate thread. Since it's your idea, kindly start it. Lets hope its a BIG thing.
An older article, worth a read... .. India gets its badminton due, thanks to Saina Nehwal Amit Karmarkar, TNN | Aug 5, 2012 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...anks-to-Saina-Nehwal/articleshow/15364812.cms Excerpts: Many, including Puneites, are unaware of city's role in badminton's history, thanks to the fact that there is neither a monument, nor a player of repute from here. Poona District and Metropolitan Badminton Association (PDMBA) secretary Uday Sane said: "We want to build a badminton museum in Pune. We want a piece of land near Ammunition Factory, Khadki (AFK), for the same. It is believed the game was first played in that area. We are pursuing the matter with the state government. It has been on our agenda for some time. But it hasn't happened. After taking over as PDMBA secretary in late 2011, I have decided to do something about it before my tenure ends in 2015. "We tried to visit AFK with foreign players when the World junior badminton championships were hosted by the city in 2008. But due to security reasons, we couldn't see the place." ...Pune has provided some milestone moments in Indian badminton. Nandu Natekar was the quarterfinalist at the All England Open; Gopi Chand won his first National title here in 1996; World juniors were held here in 2008. The city has produced world-level officials, started a state-level premier league on the franchise model. It witnessed the Prakash Padukone-Han Jian duel during the inaugural Indian Masters at the WIE in 1980s. But somehow the city has not produced a world-class player and also failed to host a big event like the Indian Open, World championship or Thomas and Uber Cups.
The familiar, yet intriguing tale of Prajakta Sawant Abhijeet Kulkarni, Nov 8, 2012 http://www.firstpost.com/blogs/the-familiar-yet-intriguing-tale-of-prajakta-sawant-519180.html Excerpts: ...While the media is going overboard with the story, the badminton fraternity is just amused and feel that it warrants little attention. The reasons behind this indifference are largely Prajakta’s well known history of making allegations at a wide range of people, and frequently. ...A few months later, she pulled out of all competitions and her father announced that his daughter had had enough of badminton and would concentrate on studies because “everyone was out there to ruin her career”. The trigger for the outburst were two suspicious line calls. But the reaction was extreme. ...Since then while her career graph was on the rise and so were the many run-ins with the administration and court officials. She quit Maharashtra to play for Andhra Pradesh after she was asked to play the qualifying round of the junior nationals since she had not competed in the number of state selection tournaments required to make the team and also refused to turn up for the trials. Few years ago, a Mumbai-based referee Mukund Kaveri was summoned to the police station for alleged “harassment” because he did not take the player’s side during a dispute with the chair umpire. There is a general consensus among the BAI officials, coaches and anyone who is closely associated with the sport that her behaviour is influenced by someone from the family. Even in the latest case, the problem started when Prajakta asked the national coach to change her partner because her partners – Pradnya Gadre (women’s doubles) and Pranav Chopra (mixed) – were not serious about their career. Gopichand countered her argument saying that she herself needs to be more serious about her career as she was going home too often. In response, she shot a letter to the national coach and Badminton Association of India officials that Gopichand was making such allegations to harass her and it has led her to think of committing suicide. It was in response to that letter that the national coach asked the Badminton Association of India to ensure that she not report to the camp until she withdraws the letter. However, instead of withdrawing the letter she moved the court against Gopichand and BAI and has scored the first point in the legal tussle. There are many more layers to this story and I am sure we haven’t heard the last of it yet.
This Prajakta already acting like a big time diva. I wonder what kind of drama she will come up with if she was successful like Saina. On top of that, another sour puss Gutta is showing her colors. Earlier she was complaining Saina was getting all the attention, endorsements etc. So it is not surprising she is supporting Prajakta. I predict, Gopichand will be on the losing end here. Badminton is getting all the limelight / money / etc and there will be tons of contenders trying to get a piece of the action and it is going to start with the clipping of Gopichand's power and control.
This is the situation in our country. If you go up in the ladder, once you are there , you will forget the ladder. Thats happening now. I hope everything will change. She is just 20. I mean prajaktha. How she will be able to give such a comment against gopichand . Hurray...He said nothing . But that made her to go for suicide?. How on earth she became a student of him?. He is trying to give his best to this badminton world. Only thing i heard his students complaining about his strictness during practice. He is a perfect teacher. I dont think this will affect him. Lets see how it goes .. I always know that jwala is a media puller. If she gets place and time, she will try to pull attention by giving unnecessary stints. Prajaktha is so young. She has to think twice before blaming a person who proved himself in this huge world.
She does have a point though. Gopichand has his own academy and when he selects players from his academy, people will surely accuse him of being bias and there is a valid case for conflict of interest. So the selection should be done by a committee. Even in Malaysia there is conflict of interest where BAM tends to select their own players even though there are better qualified club players.
Olympic Gold Quest - showing how its done. .. Working quietly and effectively behind the scenes for sports in India, is a non-profit organisation named Olympic Gold Quest. The foundation was co-founded by eminent sportspersons Prakash Padukone (badminton,) Geet Sethi (billiards,) Leander Paes (tennis) and V. Anand (chess) among others, and has found a groundswell of support from the corporate world and numerous individuals. They roped in many more equally eminent sports persons, and brought in a panel of medical experts whose collective knowledge in the area of everything sports is, in a word, awesome. OGQ has been very instrumental in bringing India 6 medals at the recent London Olympic Games. Their people assist selected players with planning, medical/psychological/nutritional support, training infrastructure and equipment, and even travel and hotel arrangements where necessary. It may be safe to say that without OGQ's support, the Indian boxing Bronze medallist Mary Kom would never have managed to get as far as she did. Here is what she had to say: "I can't express my gratitude (enough) to OGQ. OGQ has been supporting from the time I had no sponsors. Their sport science team ensured that I moved from 46 kg to 51 kg (weight category) smoothly. They found a world class coach in Charles Atkinson for me and he really helped me to fight better against taller and stronger opponents," said Mary. "Dr Nikhil Latey, head of OGQ's sports medicine team, has been with me throughout the last 2 years, helping me with my fitness, recovery and strength. I am very happy to win this medal," said the 29-year-old mother of two. source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...up-Pullela-Gopichand/articleshow/15619162.cms So what does OGQ have in mind for badminton? OGQ CEO and former India hockey captain Viren Rasquinha said six youngsters - four in badminton and two in shooting - have already been picked. The selected six in the 12-15 age group are: B M Rahul, Kartikey Gulshan Kumar, Rahul Yadav, Siril Varma (all badminton), Saurav Dalvi and Malauka Goel (rifle and pistol shooting respectively). To know more about the foundation, visit: http://www.olympicgoldquest.in/index.php
There is a point in your statement. Yeah. You cant object this also. I mean that gopi chand was selected as national coach when he is already owning an academy. How did they select him as coach then. This is my first point. If they are selecting him as a national coach, definitely its proving that they have their belief over his training methods and his quality. Next thing is that prajaktha is also his student. The point from the side of prajaktha is that he should nod to whatever she says. Its like " I dont want mixed double and women doubles partners, so, change it. I want to go home. So, even if you wont allow, i will definitely go. " This is like whatever you wanna do, you will do but teacher dont have rights to say anything. If he says like " you are not properly concentrating in the sports", then that will lead you to go for SUICIDE???.. Just think from gopichand's side, you may find the truth. Nobody will give you wrong partners deliberately and spoil you intentionally. And that too gopichand. Huhhhh..
