Indian Shuttlers Face Funding Crisis; SAI Points to BAI's Delay in Releasing Funds

PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen gave Indian badminton a moment of glory to celebrate on Sunday when both of them stood on the podium. While the success of the shuttlers was the highlight of Indian badminton, weeks earlier, the country's shuttlers were found stranded in the middle of Europe, having to finance their European tour after the funding support was withdrawn by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

According to a report by the Indian Express, SAI had declined to fund the Indian contingent's European swing, comprising four consecutive tournaments in Finland, Denmark, France and Germany. To add to the problems, the shuttlers were informed about the decision just days ahead of the Arctic Open, which began on October 6 in Finland.

"When I got to know, I was a bit shocked and wondered how the funding hadn't gone through. I hadn't faced something like that before," PV Sindhu said, as quoted by the Indian Express.

However, the two-time Olympic medallist said that funding was not a concern at the moment, as her immediate priority on was to improve her game and compete in the tournament. Sindhu added that she had financed her European tour using her personal funds, with additional support from Olympic Gold Quest.

What Did SAI Say In Its Response?

Sources in the Sports Ministry have informed myKhel that the non-release of funds for Indian shuttlers' European tours was due to a lapse on the part of the Badminton Association of India (BAI), which failed to submit its proposal within the stipulated timeline.

As mentioned in The Indian Express report, SAI confirmed that funding guidelines were revised after federations expressed difficulties in submitting proposals 90 days and 60 days in advance. The deadline was subsequently reduced to 30 days, with player names mandatory.

SAI maintains that the revised guidelines apply uniformly to all federations and that funding cannot be processed without the required proposal being submitted at least 30 days before a tournament.

"We were not aware of any such revised guidelines or the 30-day deadline for submitting the proposal. Had we been informed about the changes, we would have followed the necessary procedure. The funding issue has come as a surprise to us, and we are seeking clarity from SAI on the matter," BAI sources told myKhel.

The funding crunch also left several players without their coaches during crucial matches on the European tour. At the French Open, Ashmita Chaliha had fellow shuttler Isharani Baruah in her corner while registering a notable win over Akane Yamaguchi, with the latter effectively doubling up as her coach. Similarly, Tanvi Sharma, who reached the quarterfinals at the Denmark Open, had to compete without a coach guiding her from the sidelines. These instances highlighted the challenges faced by Indian shuttlers due to the funding disruption.

Although Indian shuttlers secured some notable victories during the European tour, the funding controversy has once again highlighted the off-court challenges they continue to face, with administrative and financial hurdles threatening to overshadow their performances on the court.