New Delhi: India can become a sporting powerhouse and compete for Olympic medals with neighbouring China if the country looks beyond cricket, former world number 1 badminton player Saina Nehwal asserts.
Much progress has been made in the game in terms of facilities and infrastructure over the years but badminton still needs greater awareness and visibility, she says in a free-wheeling podcast session of ‘Nikhil Tho Natakalu’.
Her husband and fellow shuttler Parupalli Kashyap, too, shares the same thought as he went on to highlight the disparity in financial rewards between cricket and badminton.
“Sometimes, we feel so bad cricket gets that kind of attention, because if you see badminton, basketball, tennis and the other sports are so tough physically. You don’t even have time to pick up the shuttle and serve, and a game like cricket gets that kind of attention where I think personally, skill is more important than stamina or agility,” she says.
“The other sports are so tough. Why not other sports? Imagine players getting injured every other day and still performing. Satwik (Rankireddy) and Chirag (Shetty), who won the Thailand Open, every day having issues here and there; putting tapes on their bodies and still winning. These kinds of players should be celebrated more like cricketers.” .
Known for their aggressive style of playing, Satwik and Chirag are the first Indian doubles pair to achieve world no. 1 ranking and currently ranked number three in the rankings.
“Even if I say bad things about cricket, cricket will be up there because it’s loved by everyone. Even I love cricket. But you have to give that kind of attention to other sports so that India can become a sporting nation and compete with China for 60 Olympic medals,” Saina says.
Kashyap, a former world no. 6, gives a telling example of the gap between cricket and other sports in India. “In IPL, you score in one match and for the next season, you might get sold for 5-6 crores.”
On Thursday, the victory parade of the T20 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team in Marine Drive lasted over one-and-a-half-hour as supporters flooded the iconic promenade. The Board of Cricket Council of India (BCCI) felicitated the cricketers at Wankhede and handed a cheque of Rs 125 crore.
Saina remarks that every Indian boy wants to take up cricket and football, while girls look to become like her and P.V. Sindhu. “…but boys don’t want to become Srikanth, Gopi sir (Pullela Gopichand), but like Virat and Sachin.”
To the podcaster’s question on why India doesn’t have 10 Sainas or Sindhus, Kashyap acknowledges the complexity of the issue, citing various factors.
The couple concurred that India still lacks a strong sporting culture, despite improvements.
“We have improved leaps and bounds, there is funding from 10 years back, 2012 London Olympics where Saina won the medal…,” Kashyap says.
He recalls the inadequate support infrastructure at the time, saying the entire Indian contingent had only 1 physio, who was from the hockey team. “Our physio came but had no accreditation, whereas I used to see in the Indian team office downstairs, 20 office bearers sitting together, randomly, I don’t know what they are doing also.” .
Saina chips in to add that today, there are 5 physios in the Gopichand badminton academy, while players have solid funding. “You have to show the game of badminton more, the awareness of badminton is less, and cricket is shown a lot more.”
Sharing his thoughts on the state of Indian badminton, Kashyap expresses regret that the sport has not reached its full potential. “Somewhere, I feel we missed the bus. Federations, all these people fought, killed the sport.”
Indian badminton has world-class players but lacks a league to showcase their talent, Kashyap asserts as he draws a comparison with Pro Kabaddi League which has gained popularity over time.
The Premier Badminton League (PBL) was shut down in 2020 because of a reported financial crunch due to the Covid pandemic. But, the league is likely to be relaunched later this year or early 2025.
He goes on to emphasise the need for new heroes, as the golden generation of Indian badminton, including Sindhu, Saina, and Kidambi Srikanth, are either in the latter half of their careers or retired.
The two then praise the BCCI for their efforts to promote cricket, suggesting that the badminton federation could have similarly controlled world badminton with the great potential India possesses vis-à-vis China.
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What next now
In a light-hearted moment, Kashyap playfully reveals a humorous “behind the scenes” moment from their childhood. “I’ll tell you behind the scenes, she got slapped by her mother before everyone; my mom also slapped me in the auto, that was behind the scenes in childhood,” the shuttler says with a chuckle as he and Saina end up laughing.
Moving on to their plans after retiring from the badminton circuit, Kashyap, 37, says he is now responsible for mentoring 20 young players who are part of the Indian team, a role he had always envisioned for himself.
“It’s been on my mind since my playing days; I’m passionate about badminton and love the sport,” Kashyap says, acknowledging that coaching consumes half his day, leaving him exhausted for the rest.
On the other hand, Saina, 34, reflects on her 25-year badminton career. “Playing for 25 years is just like a dream for any athlete,” she says and adds it’s a feat she never thought she’d achieve, especially given the physical struggles she faced towards the end of her career.
Saina further says she had been dealing with knee issues. “I tried my level best for a couple of months, but that time comes for every player.” She adds that doctors diagnosed her with signs of arthritis, requiring 20-25 injections.
To a query on her experience with injections, Saina laughs off. “I tried to make my knee okay, but it doesn’t listen to me.” Her voice then trails off. “It’s sad also, you wish to cry.”
“In a country like India, in a sport which is not even known to anyone, to every other girl wanting to play badminton for India, is what is extraordinary,” the former world no. 1, says, reflecting on her career and its impact in the country
She notes that her consistent performance and media coverage have made her a household name, along with the likes of Neeraj Chopra, Mirabai Chanu, and Vinesh Phogat.
“Now everyone wants to see what Saina is doing; what wrestlers, boxers are doing; Neeraj Chopra, Mirabai Chanu, and Vinesh Phogat are doing. Everyone knows these sportspersons, why? Because we have consistently performed and been in newspapers.”
She then expresses her amazement at the growth of sports recognition in India, saying, “It’s like a dream sometimes — ‘Yaar, India main kardiya’ (I did it in India) — where there isn’t even a proper sporting culture.”
(Edited by Tony Rai)