Alex Lanier’s Triumph, Kestutis Navickas’ Lithuania Dream: The Other side of BWF World Championships

New Delhi, August 27: For a fleeting moment, Alex Lanier stood still and watched the shuttlecock fall. Then came the smash, sharp, angled, and unstoppable. Kodai Naraoka had no answer. As the shuttle hit the floor, Lanier's racket slipped from his hand, and the 21-year-old Frenchman leapt into the air, overwhelmed by the moment he had just created.

In the roaring cauldron of New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Lanier had done what no French singles player had ever done before: become a badminton World Champion.

Waiting at the edge of the court was his Lithuanian coach, Kestutis Navickas. Lanier ran straight into his arms, the two locked in a tearful embrace as the significance of the moment sank in.

Interestingly, few may know that Navickas was once a legend in his own right. At the height of his playing career, he was a four-time national champion of Lithuania, carving out his own place in the country's badminton history. Today, five years into his journey with Lanier, Navickas has taken on a very different role, not just shaping the Frenchman's career, but also standing at the forefront of badminton's development back home in Lithuania, working tirelessly to keep the sport alive, relevant and moving forward.

And so, while France basks in its own glory, another question quietly lingers: what is the Lithuanian side of the racquet story?

What Is the Major Roadblock For Lithuania?

Speaking to myKhel on the sidelines of the BWF World Championships 2026, Navickas said that the major roadblock is that there is no active 'culture' for badminton, due to which there are not many takers of the game.

"We need a proper culture, which is absent in our country," Navickas said. Surprisingly, almost all the badminton setup that is there in the country is located in the second-largest city of the country, Kaunas, rather than in Vilnius, which is the country's capital.

Another major problem that is plaguing most of Europe is the absence of proper academies like those in India. "No, we don't have that structurally at the moment. We have a few academies that are doing this kind of work, but there isn't a nationwide system in place," Navickas said.

The same problem is also prevalent in Sweden, which was highlighted to us by mixed doubles player Filip Karlborg.

How Has Lithuanian Badminton Progressed?

But it is not all gloom and pessimism for the Eastern European nation. Navickas believes Lithuania has made significant strides in badminton in recent years, even if the road to establishing the sport as a major force remains a long one.

"Yes, there has been progress, but we still have a lot of work to do. We need to build a stronger badminton culture in Lithuania, increase the sport's presence in the media and on television, and see our top players succeed at major international tournaments. That would bring greater attention to the sport and help create more enthusiasm around it."

The task, however, goes beyond producing results on court. Lithuania also needs to strengthen the foundations of the sport, establishing a strong pipeline powered by a youth system that creates several shuttlers like Navickas. The former Lithuanian, however, believes that 'it is a long road' ahead and it would be a step-by-step process, and yet he has his own way of contributing to the cause.

Navickas' Own Small Contribution

The former Lithuanian champion is not content to sit on the sidelines as the sport undergoes this transition. Navickas remains actively involved in efforts to grow badminton's footprint in his home country.

"I run a small badminton academy in Lithuania and am trying to make the sport more popular in my country," Kestutis Navickas said.

Lithuania has already had its moment of Olympic glory, with a bronze medal in 1992 providing a glimpse of what the country could achieve on the international stage. Now, more than three decades later, the channelise that sporting instinct and keep the flames of badminton burning.

The journey may be long, but with people like Navickas pushing from within, Lithuania's longest rally may finally end with the strongest smash on the heart of Europe.