seems like India has few good junior! Great for badminton... It all looking GOOD for the Future of badminton... Badminton need India... Russia... to be strong... to match Tennis... Golf... etc...
Bane of the game Suveen K Sinha / New Delhi May 2, 2010, 0:44 IST Badminton suffers from being a sport that “everyone can play”. No one is giving an arm and a leg yet to make badminton more saleable, but a sleeve has been sacrificed. The game’s poster boy, Raufik Hidayat, wore a one-sleeved theme jersey at the Badminton Asia Championship in New Delhi last month. With that, the game made a rare nod to couture. So far, players — men and women alike — have given priority to functionality over fashion. Both wear shorts, and men continue to carry collars. The one-sleeve jersey (honestly, it looks odd) made its debut last year at the Japan Open Super Series. It gained attention when Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei and Denmark’s Peter Gade sported it at the All England. Hidayat brought it into the limelight. The argument is that the uncovered shoulder and arm move better. The other arm, sleeved, can be used to wipe sweat. The real idea maybe to bring a touch of Rafael Nadal — his biceps never hidden under sleeves — to badminton. And why not! Badminton has forever been battling to get the same respect, and sponsorship money, as tennis. Frequently, statistics are dished out — for example, the shuttle speed in a professional badminton match is faster than the speed of the ball in professional tennis — to establish that badminton is more physically demanding. Here is a bit of what www.worldbadminton.com has to say. At the 1985 Wimbledon, Boris Becker defeated Kevin Curren 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. The same year, Han Jian of China defeated Morten Frost of Denmark 14-18, 15-10, 15-8 at the World Badminton Championships in Calgary, Canada. The first lasted 3 hours and 18 minutes, the second an hour and 16 minutes. Yet, the tennis ball was in play for 18 minutes and the badminton shuttle for 37 minutes. The match intensity (the actual time the ball/shuttle was in flight, divided by the length of the match) was 9 per cent for the tennis match and 48 per cent for badminton. The number of shots Becker and Curren made, at 1,004, was just more than half the shots made by Han and Frost (1,972). The distance covered was two miles by the first pair, four by the second. However, statistics would win you debates, not sponsors. Badminton is extremely popular in India. Everyone plays it, or thinks he can. Every housing society in and around Delhi has a badminton court. Every picnic involves a game by the grandparents. Even middle-aged housewives do not mind tucking their pallus into the girth on their waist to have a round of badminton. There is a ‘formidable champion’ in every colony. That perhaps is the bane of this game. It is seen as a backyard romp. Tennis, on the other hand, is perceived to be much bigger in scale and challenges. It requires you to cover a much bigger court, the racquet is bigger, and it is much more difficult to keep a tennis ball in play than a badminton shuttle. And, of course, short skirts get more viewership than shorts.
VERY TRUE INDEED... in terms of population who play badminton... it wont be lacking! maybe more than tennis but THE PRICE MONEY & PROMOTION... is bad... who fault? BWF or ????
Before I forget: something I came across earlier this week -> http://mybadmintonbook.blogspot.com/ "My Badminton Book About Badminton in general, and Badminton in India in particular"
Only a few players get BAI’s support: Jwala Gutta Only a few players get BAI’s support: Jwala Gutta Published: Wednesday, Feb 9, 2011, 3:17 IST By Tushar Dutt | Place: Pune | Agency: DNA http://iplextra.indiatimes.com/article/0ePJ2Sx6qw1Q8 Badminton is growing, but not the players, feels Jwala Gutta. The shuttler, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games and reached the quarters of the Korean Open with Ashwini Ponnappa recently, says that the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has a biased approach as “only a few players” get their support. When asked whether BAI supports only Saina Nehwal, Jwala said, “I have nothing against Saina, as she is a good player and she deserves the support, but that doesn’t mean we are not doing well. I feel players including me, Ashiwini and Diju have been doing well and are consistent with our performance, but still we are not getting the support.” Jwala said that the neglect is not hidden any more. “It is so prominent that anybody can make out that from their attitude. Ashwini and I had reached the quarters of Korean Open, but they (BAI) didn’t even send the results of the match to the media. This way we cannot find any support,” she said. She also said that her performance could have also won her national awards, but BAI didn’t recommend her name for any of them. “I have done well in the past and try to maintain my performance, but my name was never recommended for any award by BAI. All I can do is to perform, rest is in their hands,” she said. The shuttler said that the attitude is not helping the other players. “It hurts a lot, but what can I do? I cannot do anything apart from playing well. I am glad that I am getting government’s support, which allows us to play tournaments abroad, but apart from that, there is no support at all. We don’t even have sponsors,” she said. When asked what keeps her motivated, she said, it is the passion for the game. “I want to see myself at the No 1 spot. This keeps me going,” she said. ========= ========== ========== Cobalt's comment: I seem to recall, the gold-medal WD pair from India was actually cold-shouldered during the awards ceremony by their own minister for sports in India, during the recent Commonwealth Games held in Delhi, while Saina Nehwal was given all the attention.
Cracks on the surface India’s best doubles player Jwala Gutta alleges that BAI’s policy of favouritism is hurting the sport of badminton Ramendra Singh Posted On Tuesday, February 08, 2011 at 12:01:45 AM http://www.bangaloremirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News - Sports§id=71&contentid=2011020820110208000145403ebaf90f0 That Jwala Gutta has a bone to pick with the Badminton Association of India is a well-known fact in sporting circles. However, India top doubles player has now gone on record to say that blatant favouritism by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) is proving to be detrimental to the health of the sport in India. In an exclusive chat with Mirror, she expressed her disgust at the odd policies and favouritism of the BAI. Justifying her anger over BAI, the talented left-handed player alleged that the BAI supported only those players who are ready to accept their diktats. “I have made unprecedented achievements and brought laurels to the country, but BAI has never recognised them. Despite being among the world’s sixth best doubles player, the badminton association has never wanted to support me,” she said. Compromise? not me When asked about the reason of such indifferent behaviour of BAI, she said, “I have never compromised with anyone. I am here only to perform and not to listen or accept unnecessary words from the association. I am a straight speaking individual. BAI supports only those who are ready to compromise with their unacceptable policies.” Jwala is among those players who have made the country proud with awesome achievements in the badminton arena. Apart from winning tournaments on the circuit including the Yonex Dutch Open Grand Prix (2008) , she also won a gold medal in Women Doubles in Commonwealth Games 2010. The pathetic state of BAI’s policies in the country could be gauged from the fact that despite being the world number six doubles player in the country, Jwala does not have a single sponsor. “Can you believe that after serving so long to the country, I have not a single sponsor except my department BPCL. But, Saina Nehwal has got a huge line of sponsors as BAI is supporting her,” she said. She asked, “ Is there any player to field if Saina is out of action due of injury or any other reason? This is what the BAI has been doing. Their support is for those players who listen to their wrongs.” Citing the example of the BCCI, Jwala said: “Cricket and cricketers could achieve such height and popularity as they were supported by their board. The same thing could be possible in Indian badminton if BAI supports the players as there is no dearth of talent. BAI officials were not available for comment.
India’s best doubles player Jwala Gutta alleges BAI’s policy of favouritism . From what I see, BAI gives more recognition to Singles players than to Doubles players. .
It appears that BAI is infected with some of the same virus that has affected BAM: inertia, and CYA (cover your a$$) syndrome. But worse for BAI is that there is more direct political control and interference. Possibly because badminton has become more visible as a sport in India, and also because it is bringing in big sponsors and more money than it had ever seen before. My opinion: If the Indian squad want to make an impression on the world stage beyond Saina, then they will have to find the courage and the means to hire some top coaching talent and support staff from abroad. This is what the Indian cricket team has done consistently for the past ten years, and they are now the No. 1 Test cricket team in the world. Such an investment will eventually pay dividends. Remember, Atik Jauhari was quite instrumental in getting Saina to the No. 2 world ranking. It is up to people like Gopichand himself and others to lead the way, and make the correct recommendations. Gopi was a great player and he has also since made great contributions to Indian badminton like Prakash Padukone before him, but I cannot honestly say with certainty that he is a world-class coach.
Dear Badders, I came across a blog related to Indian Badminton.Just thought of sharing with you guys!.Its hard to find aurthors writing about Badminton.Thanks to Abhijit Phadke. http://mybadmintonbook.blogspot.com/
2011 All England: Saina Nehwal, seeded No.5, could move into the Semi-Finals . I think Saina Nehwal, seeded No.5, could move into the Semi-Finals at this 2011 All England tournament. Fingers crossed for her. .
Shuttlers attract whopping prize money for league Team owners loosen their purse strings in the auction for the Maharashtra Badminton League; Jishnu Sanyal gets highest bid A mini badminton revolution was launched on Sunday in Pune — the birthplace of modern badminton. An IPL-style league finally took off, with the auction of 79 players — bringing some of them a windfall that they’d never have expected in their wildest dreams. Doubles player Jishnu Sanyal attracted the maximum bid of a whopping Rs 81,000 — peanuts by cricket standards but huge money in badminton, for this involves matches over three weekends. Pune’s national champion Aditi Mutatkar and Arundhati Pantwane shared the highest bid for the women — Rs55,000 each. The league will be held only on Saturdays and Sundays, and will begin on May 7 at WIE Sports Complex, Pune. The Amanora Maharashtra Badminton League will have six teams, who bid for their pick from the 79 players available on Sunday in Pune. The league is the brainchild of the Haveli Taluka Badminton Association, and is supported by the associations of Thane and Pune, under the aegis of the state association. National champ Mutatkar was stunned when told she had won a bid for Rs55,000. “It’s a big surprise,” she said. “I never thought this would happen during my career. It will have huge significance. It can attract juniors. This shows that people are coming forward to support badminton. The money might go up the next year, and perhaps this will even evolve into a national league.” Each team had a maximum amount of Rs2.5 lakh to spend. Players were divided into ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ categories, depending on their level of performance. The base price for ‘A’ category was Rs30,000 for ‘B’ category Rs25,000 and for ‘C’ category Rs15,000. Jishnu attracted the top bid from Fabulous Falcons, owned by Jain Irrigation, Jalgaon, while Aditi was bought by Sensational Skylarks ( Builders Combine and Radiant Sports Management, Pune), while Arundhati was picked up by Inspiring Eagles ( Pratham Motors, Pune). Uday Sane, secretary of the organising committee and a respected international umpire, said the money spent by teams had surprised him. “We earlier had a cap of Rs2.25 lakh, but the team owners wanted it hiked to Rs2.5 lakh,” he told DNA. “The base price started at Rs30,000 and then shot up. That a badminton player will make Rs81,000 for three weekends is great news.” Sane was thrilled that most owners were from outside the fraternity, but had done their homework on the players. “ They’re not from a badminton background at all. We had one owner from a rural place - Sangli. They want to have exhibition matches over there. The value for badminton is growing up.” Six celebrity Marathi actresses have been roped in as brand ambassadors: Bhargavi Chirmule, Sonali Khare, Kranti Redkar, Kadambari Kadam and Saee Tamhankar. Those responsible for the league are Aniruddha Deshpande, chairman of the organising committee (MBL), Pradeep Gandhe, president of MBA, Uday Sane, secretary of the organising committee and Avinash Jadhav, vice president, Haveli Taluka Badminton Association. # 21 Mar 2011 # DNA (Daily News & Analysis) Mumbai Edition # Dev S Sukumar BANGALORE
Interesting... although this is a regional badminton league, its a start in the right direction. Hopefully the really heavyweight corporate sponsors will now climb aboard for a national league...
IPL-style badminton hopes to give the sport huge popularity Punnaiah Choudary, BAI joint secretary, says the idea for the format and structure has been borrowed from the IPL. “ Looking at how IPL managed to skyrocket the popularity of cricket, we thought it would be great if we can do something like that for badminton,” he says. However, with cricket being a team-based sport and badminton being an individual one, there are bound to be changes in the structure, according to Choudary. “ This will be a team-based tournament, and there will be no individual events. It will be quite similar in structure to the IPL.” Choudary also adds, “ We had initially thought of a national level, state-versusstate tournament, but then we realised most of the badminton players are from either Andhra Pradesh or Kerala like Saina Nehwal, P. Kashyap, Guru Saidutt, H. S. Prannoy, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa, to name a few. That is when we decided we would go for a franchise-based model. First, we will auction state-based franchises to private entities, and then hold a player auction. That will help create a level-playing field.” However, all discussions on this have come to a halt as the BAI has run into rough weather. If all had gone according to plan, we would have seen the first season of this tournament held this summer. The tournament will take any shape before 2012. One of the biggest selling points of the IPL has been the inclusion of overseas players. However, while Punnaiah Choudary admits they haven’t thought of that aspect yet, it is definitely a possibility. Bhaskar Babu, a senior coach at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy says if this idea is properly worked out, then it will go a long way in advancing the interests of the players and the game. “ Players will stand to make some money, and it will open up doors to parents and children approaching the game as a viable career option,” he said. 23 Mar 2011 The Asian Age VIJAY ANAND THE ASIAN AGE
“All this thanks to Saina Nehwal” “All this thanks to Saina Nehwal” The Hindu Wed May 18, 2011 20:39 IST The new game May 18, 2011 V. V. SUBRAHMANYAM What is most discernible during a visit to any sports complex during this summer, is the huge demand for booking slots to play badminton. And it was no different at Vijayanagar Colony GHMC Sports Complex the other morning when the official in-charge Raj Kumar was struggling to satisfy the enthusiastic shuttlers. “All this thanks to Saina Nehwal,” he insists. As part of the efforts to accommodate aspiring players, GHMC took the services of national umpire and qualified NIS coach Ravi Anand Kumar to take up the task of coaching. “Even if we have another four indoor stadia in the vicinity, we may not be able to meet this demand,” says another GHMC Circle in-charge Prithviraj. Full story: http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-...service=mobile
All this thanks to Saina Nehwal . It's great to see that Badminton is getting more and more popular in India (because of Saina Nehwal). .
MALAYSIA: INDIA'S PRAKASH PADUKONE WINS MEN'S WORLD CUP BADMINTON FINAL. Story INTRODUCTION: India's badminton star Prakash Padukone scored a stunning win over Han Jian of China to become the inaugural champion at the First World Cup titles, held in Malaysia. The Indian had won through to the championship match at Kuala Lumpur's 'Stadium Negara' on Monday (12 October) with a revenge victory over another Chinese Chen Changjie who beat him two months ago in the Santa Clara World Games. We pick up play in the World Cup final as Prakash Padukone serves on the last point of the first game. SYNOPSIS: Prakash produced flawless badminton in the opening round. Han Jian could not match the Indian's deceptive forehand cross-court shots and the vicious net shots left Han without time to get into position for a good return. The Indian took the first game, 15-love. There was a remarkable comeback by the Chinese ace in the second game. He took an early 2-1 lead, but Prakash was soon back in command with a 7-3 lead. Han Jian then went on the offensive and it payed off as he levelled seven-all. From then on, it was as point-for-point game with both players equally determined to win. The partisan crowd constantly booed Prakash over the time he took to serve, but the heckling didn't bother the cool Indian, as he continued to attack his opponent's weak forehand. It was game and match at 18-16 when Han Jian returned a shot which hit the net. Story board from ITN source about 1981 World Cup.
I think it is worthwhile repeating my opinion on post #48 of this thread: and I might add to this: once you find a world class coach, let him do his job! Politicians and Association bigwigs often like to meddle in which player gets reassigned to which coach among other things, and this has happened often enough in the past to make a mockery of the idea of continuity and application. No country can build a world class team when there is no clear obective and principle, and no proper strategy and application of the same...
Sudirman Cup: Indian shuttlers lose to Chinese Taipei Sudirman Cup: Indian shuttlers lose to Chinese Taipei TNN | May 23, 2011, 03.19am IST HYDERABAD: The vulnerability of India in the team events was evident on Sunday as they lost their Sudirman Cup opener to Chinese Taipei 2-3 at Quingdao, China. Despite winning both the singles, India failed to match up against Taipei as they lost all their doubles games. The absence of mixed doubles specialist Valiyaveetil Diju was strongly felt as Arun Vishnu and Aparna Balan came a cropper against Yu Chin Chien and Sheng Mu Lee 17-21, 10-21. Parupalli Kashyap made it 1-1 after he downed Hsuan Yi Hsueh 21-16, 21-13 in the men's singles. However, the joy was short lived as the men's doubles pair of Sanave Thomas and Rupesh Kumar folded up without a fight against Sheng Mu Lee and Chieh Min Fang 15-21, 18-21. Later, star shuttler Saina Nehwal rekindled India's hopes when she managed to scrape through in the women's singles with a 21-10, 12-21, 21-17 victory over Tzu Ying Tai. The World No. 4, looked in good touch when she took the first game at 21-10. But Tzu fought back to clinch the second rather easily 21-12, taking the tie into the decider. Both shuttlers gave their best with Tzu looking dangerous till the 15th point. At 15-15, Saina nudged ahead with a three-point burst and though Tzu reduced the lead to 18-17, the experienced Indian prevailed in the end. And when it was all left to the women, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa failed to take their team home as they lost to Wen Hsing Chen and Yu Chin Chien 15-21, 17-21. The golden girls of the Commonwealth Games were off colour on Sunday as they were left clueless in their 23-minute encounter, the shortest of all the five matches. India play Thailand in their second and last Group C encounter on Monday. As two teams from each of the four Groups make it to the quarters, India still have a chance of making it to the next round. Full story: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ose-to-Chinese-Taipei/articleshow/8520634.cms
And they surprisingly beat Thailand today. Though I really wonder this is a surprise at all. India is slowly becoming a powerhouse in badminton now with the emerging players consistently beating top players in the world.
