Vol. 3. No. 3
For Private Circulation Only
August - September 2011
Editor: Dev S. Sukumar, Published by Thomas J Kunnath, P4, KSSIDC Industrial Area, Mahadevapura, Bangalore 560 048. Printed at National Printing Press, Koramangala, Bangalore-560 095. Email: badmintonmania@gmail.com
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August - September 2011
Tears and much pain later, Sikki’s back She was considered the country’s biggest prospect after Saina, but an ACL injury put her back by a year. Having fought pain and self-doubt, the Hyderabadi makes a tentative comeback, writes Dev S Sukumar bending. It took 10-12 months to get back.”
Sikki Reddy
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t’s easy to forget, while watching players move sleekly over court surfaces, what a delicate thing the human body is; how intricately it’s all wired together. One ruptured connection – and it’s all gone. The body fails to function efficiently; what was once pleasure now becomes pain. Ask Sikki Reddy. The left-hander was considered the country’s brightest prospect since Saina Nehwal, but a sudden injury derailed all of her best-laid plans. Two surgeries followed the ACL injury that happened in March last year, shortly after she’d won her third National Junior title. What the Indian badminton world saw was Sikki returning to singles play at Bangalore in September. What nobody saw was the tears and agony it took for her to make that journey from the sidelines on to the court. It was at the Junior Ranking tournament in Nellur in March last year that Sikki twisted her knee. Scans revealed a partial tear, but doctors suggested she continue to play after strengthening exercises. However, a month and a half later, at the Asian Championships, at 7-all in the third game
against World Junior champion Ratchanok Intanon, the knee gave way again. “It was like my leg was being cut off,” recalls Sikki. Two surgeries followed – one for the ACL, and a second to ensure she could bend her knee. The months of post-surgery
profile: sikki reddy rehab, the sleepless nights, tears and pain seem almost too cruel a punishment for someone passionately pursuing badminton glory. “The surgery happened a week after the injury, in Delhi,” says Sikki. “After a week, I went home. I spent two months on a bed. I used to cry due to the pain. I couldn’t sleep. They used to give me painkillers and sleeping tablets just to get me to sleep. As I had a rod inside, I couldn’t move my leg. I could get sleep only early in the morning, but I had to do rehab during that time.” “It was bad. I had to undergo surgery twice. The first was for the ACL, where they took a patella graft and replaced my ACL. And then after three months, I needed another surgery because my knee was not
For a competitive player, to suddenly give up an active lifestyle and be confined to a bed must have been killing for the spirit. Sikki nods in affirmation. “Rehab took eight months. I was scared. It’s very tough to come back. I was on top, no? I kept thinking I would fall back…. And the young players are getting better all the time. Physio Biplab used to come home. It was a tough time. I pray to god that nobody gets hurt. It’s tougher than training. The injury period is very tough. Even today it hurts. My knee was straight on the bed. Then I started to use crutches, then tried to stand. They tried to bend my knee and I used to scream. All the neighbours in the other flats used to come home and wonder what was happening. It was horrible, I used to cry like hell. My parents couldn’t bear to see my cry, they would go outside the home. If I remember those days… my friends at the academy also couldn’t bear to see my cry. It took three months just to bend my knee, and even now I can’t do it fully.” Once she returned to the Academy to work with physio Kiran, she would sit by and watch while the other players went about their training. She was seized by the fear that she was falling behind, while the others were pulling up. “I was at the academy and I was sitting and watching, and it hurt. I used to cry all the time,” she says. “Gopi sir would come and console me. I used to talk to Aditi (Mutatkar), who had recovered from ACL surgery. We weren’t close earlier, but I started chatting with her on Facebook and took her advice.” Having begun her tentative steps in getting back, Sikki says she still has her strokes, but she can feel that her movement is different. Doctors have assured her she can get back to singles, but it’s a slow process of strengthening and continuing to fight pain. “I had doubts,” says Sikki. “Because everyone else is improving, right? Because it’s one year, right? It’s a long time. But if you’re mentally strong, you can do it.”
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GUTS - A Window into World Badminton
August - September 2011
The mortification of being Lee Chong Wei For years now, Lee Chong Wei has done everything that was demanded of him. Going into the World Championships final, he even seemed to have the edge over Lin Dan. Could anyone have foreseen what transpired? Dev S Sukumar comments on the final
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here will it end? How much longer can we continue to praise Lin Dan? How many more epithets shall we confer upon him? When the Chinese legend nailed his fourth World Championships crowd against his hungry, desperate Malaysian rival Lee Chong Wei at Wembley, one could feel a range of conflicting emotion. Sadness for Lee Chong Wei – for the Malaysian had done just about everything but take the title; happiness for Lin Dan – for there will never be another like him, perhaps in all sport; and a realization that this contest was unique, befitting a World Championship final, and unlikely to be replicated in the near future. And what of Lee Chong Wei? How much disappointment can a man take? Had he not been a contemporary of ‘Super Dan’, Chong Wei might conceivably have taken his place. The Malaysian strung together a stunning
victory sequence -- to just the odd defeat -- in the run-up to the World Championships final. More importantly, he had shaken off his mental servitude to Lin Dan in major finals, for he had won the All England against his great rival in March. All things considered, it seemed like nothing could stop him from winning his first World Championships, and putting all doubt of his mental strength to rest. And so the script ran right through the first game, when Chong Wei’s agility, stunning defence, tightness of
world c’ships final length, and lately-acquired deceptive skills were a match for Lin Dan’s awesome all-court abilities. The game was close all the way, but when when Chong Wei edged through 22-20 in the first game, it seemed he would keep his date with destiny. The early part of the second was neck-and-neck again, until Lin surged ahead after the half-way stage thanks to several misjudgements by Lee. The decider was about two sluggers: punch, counter-punch. We saw badminton in all its glory – the art, the science,
the grit – at times exquisite; at other times almost brutal. One point saw a 48-stroke rally. The difference never went beyond a couple of points. Lee got the marginal edge at 16-13 but Lin fought right back, until finally, Lee had match point at 20-19. It wasn’t just about Lee Chong Wei, the player. It was about Malaysia itself, yearning for a World Championship gold, and millions of hearts must’ve prayed. If Chong Wei had taken that one point, he wouldn’t have to answer questions on his mental strength ever again. But Lin is made of different steel, and as he executed a jump smash at that fateful moment, one wondered if the Malaysian would ever get his due. Lee, to his credit, forced one more match point at 21-20. This time the net cord favoured Lin twice in succession, and he was serving for match point. 23-21. Familiar scenes of Lin taking off his shirt to celebrate. Familiar scenes of Chong Wei almost choking with tears. How one wishes the script had run differently. It’s just Chong Wei’s rotten luck to be playing alongside the greatest.
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August - September 2011
The maverick gets her due Jwala Gutta has copped plenty of criticism in the past, but her results over the last few months have pitched her in a different light, writes Badminton Maniac
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hen Jwala Gutta won India’s highest sporting honour, the Arjuna Award, it was an overdue acknowledgement of a maverick athlete who has done plenty, in her own way, for the cause of badminton in India. Jwala might not immediately figure among the great names of Indian badminton, but that is because we are used to considering only singles players. The pantheon of greats in Indian badminton has been dominated by singles, and even the combination of Gajanan Hemmady/ Monoj Guha will evoke quizzical looks. Jwala has authored a deviation in that script. She is unique not just in her badminton skills but her temperament on and off the court. She wasn’t bound by the time-honoured tradition of badminton players accepting whatever was given by the establishment – no, she demanded her due. If it was considered sacrilege, so be it, but Jwala refused to hold her punches. She has always been outspoken – about the money Indian players were getting, about her coach, about the BAI. For far too long, Indian badminton was shackled by players unwilling to speak out, and it took a girl who never doubted her ability to speak up when she believed it was time. That attitude has shaped her fortunes on court too. Her partners speak of how she is never cowed down against any opponent; how she always backs herself and her team. Her variety of strokes, compounded by her height and left-handedness; her steadiness at the net, her power and composure under pressure against top-quality opposition deserve the highest tribute, and the Arjuna hasn’t come a moment too soon. For a while she was hampered by the lack of an equally able partner, but once Diju and Ashwini Ponnappa happened, Jwala has blazed a trail like no other doubles player in Indian history. The Commonwealth Games 2010 gold, won in front of a riotous home crowd, catapulted her to front-page
Jwala and Ashwini Ponnappa are among the feared combinations in women’s doubles
stardom. A lean spell followed, but the World Championships bronze – India’s first in the event since Prakash Padukone in 1983 – came on the crest of a sudden resurgence.
cover story Following the World Championships bronze was an even more impressive showing at the China Masters. Diju and Jwala disposed of second seeds Tao Jiaming/ Qing Tian in the first round, Yong Dae/ Ha Eun Jung in the second; Blair and White in the third, before falling in a cracker of a match, 21-19 in the decider, to Yoo Yeong Soo/ Ye Na Jang in the semis. Jwala, either in the women’s or the mixed, might not be one of the
contemporary greats, if the term ‘great’ is not used too loosely. She is one among many. But as an Indian, and in the pantheon of Indian players, she is a trailblazer. Doubles badminton has for long languished as a poor cousin to singles, but she has turned it around, to the extent that women doubles players can now dream of a career independent of the singles. In team events, she and her partners have given India the edge they could never dream of in earlier years. Of course she is truculent and brash. Her match fitness too has provoked frequent comment. But it is remarkable that she can deliver results against top-flight opposition despite the vagaries of form and fitness. In that, she deserves her place in the sun.
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GUTS - A Window into World Badminton
August - September 2011
President Medvedev plugs badminton R ussian President Dmitry Medvedev has used a video blog to promote badminton, describing it as a game for those seeking success. Dressed in a tight sports top and clutching a racket, Medvedev called on schoolchildren to take up the sport. In the latest instalment of his video blog, Medvedev delivers a short introduction to the sport and then, to the keyboard and drums of an 80s action movie, he and prime minister Vladimir Putin bat a shuttlecock back and forth across an otherwise empty sports hall. Badminton players, he says, “can make quick decisions, which means they have the will to achieve success”. Neither seem to be particularly adept at the sport, although the push the game would have received in Russia and other countries is unquestionable. The video was praised by the country’s badminton association, but ridiculed by some commentators. “Don’t you think that the president of a country should work on more global tasks than deciding the content of school PE lessons?” one commentator, Dmitry Yermolayev, wrote on Medvedev’s blog.
at 6.30am on Sept 10. He leaves behind a wife, three sons and a daughter.
him cover the court and deliver steep smashes. Although he was often upstaged by Lin Dan, he shocked his compatriot at the All England quarterfinals in 2009.
Bao confirmed the retirement, telling that the injury had affected him for a long time, almost several years, and that he had no alternative but to make the decision. -Xinhua/ bwfbadminton.org
Indian league in June 2012?
David and his partner Datuk Eddy Choong, who was his younger brother, clinched the All-England men’s doubles titles three consecutive years, from 1951 to 1953. According to Eddy, David suffered a stroke 15 years back but managed to recover a few years later. He said David had been in coma the last nine years after he suffered a second stroke. “We were extremely close since
NAGPUR: The ambitious Indian Badminton League (IBL) is likely to be held in June next year. Since all the leading players of the world will be busy in preparation for the 2012 London Olympics (July 27 to August 12) and will be playing in various qualifying tournaments to book their berths in the mega event, IBL organizers have no option but to postpone the tournament by a few months.
Around the world he was my partner in badminton and we trained together. We were also in England together for 10 years,” he told Bernama. David also shared the All-England mixed doubles crown with June White Timperly in 1953. Some 50 close friends, relatives and church-goers gathered at the Mount Erskine crematorium near here to bid farewell to badminton legend Datuk David Choong. -Bernama
Putin, the former president who is expected to return to the post next year, has nurtured a more action-man image, with pictures of him practising judo, fishing or skiing appearing regularly in the media.
Bao Chunlai calls it a day Beijing: One of the bright stars of contemporary badminton has announced his retirement.
Former Malaysian great David Choong dies
China’s Bao Chunlai, 28, announced his retirement from international badminton on September 20th.
GEORGE TOWN, Sept 10: Malaysian badminton lost another of its illustrious shuttlers with the passing away of former All-England doubles badminton champion Datuk David Choong Ewe Leong. He was 82.
The lanky left-hander, who spent his career in the shadow of his more illustrious team mate Lin Dan, nevertheless can look back upon a stellar career, which brought him several Thomas and Sudirman Cup titles, besides a few majors. His style was defined by his lanky frame, which helped
He died at his Tanjong Tokong home here
Olympic badminton hopeful Tony Gunawan raises his right hand as a judge swears him in as a U.S. citizen at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Belgian title for Brice, Olga BRUSSELS: Olga Konon and Brice Leverdez claimed the top step of the podium for the second week running in Belgium to seal another set of maximum world ranking points in the race for Olympic qualification. Both were earlier victorious at the Kharkov International. Konon was never really tested by Larisa Griga in the final. The German hit the ground running and her powerful attack and relentless offensive pressure had Griga on the back foot for the majority of the match. -Badminton Europe
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August - September 2011
OGQ signs Lakshya Sen BANGALORE: Taking their first step to groom future champions, the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) on Monday announced that it would support 10-year-old badminton player Lakshya Sen and teenage boxer Devendro Singh who both have already won rave reviews from experts. Lakshya hails from Almora in Uttarakhand district, and trains at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, while the 18-year-old boxer hails from Manipur and is the youngest member of the Indian team travelling to the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Former All England champion Prakash Padukone said: “I have never seen a youngster at that age play so well. His stroke selection is very good. For his age he has shown maturity.”
Snazzy new complex in Vancouver Come for the sport, stay to socialize. This could be the mantra of Badminton Vancouver, a 20,000-square-foot sports club set to open on Mitchell Island next month. Two entrepreneurs, both graduates of Langara College’s international business management program, are looking to capitalize on badminton’s regional popularity by drawing recreational players to the new 12-court centre where they can play, mingle and watch matches from an elevated mezzanine. Based on word of mouth and a personal frustration from lackluster amenities at existing badminton clubs, Chow and his business partner, Killarney graduate Dave Yoo, aim to entice customers with the convenience of a vast, 105-stall parking lot and the comfort of large, modern change rooms. British Columbia is home to roughly 285,000 badminton players, nearly two thirds of whom play at least three times a year, according to Badminton B.C. Approximately 162,000 athletes play badminton at a medium or heavy level, the latter meaning they play more than 10 times a year. -Vancouver Courier
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op Indian shuttlers have been participating in a number of international events and their presence and success in the world circuit is reflected by nine men and three women being ranked in the top 100 in the singles. However, for one reason or the other, out of these players, P Kashyap, Ajay Jayaram, Anand Pawar, Guru Sai Dutt and Chetan Anand and all the top three women stayed away from the All India tournaments in Mumbai and Bangalore. This obviously is a setback for the organisers and if this trend of top national shuttlers skipping domestic events continues, the domestic circuit will be hurt. Why shouldn’t Indian audiences have the pleasure of seeing their top players in action? The new competition regulations of BAI pegs the last date of entry for national level tournaments as 21 days before tournament date. Another rule is that there cannot be any substitution of partners. The only option allowed after the final day of entry submission is withdrawal. The Bangalore tournament had about 63 walkovers out of 334 matches. To some extent, genuine reasons, some others would have got an opportunity to have a look at the draw. Some believe that many top players prefer to pay the meager fine of Rs 500 rather than run the risk of losing to a younger or upcoming player. BAI is now insisting on a fine of Rs 500 for not turning up without withdrawing before the cut-off date. It’s time to wonder if a stiffer penalty – say Rs 3000 or above – is levied, so that players think twice before withdrawing. BAI should consider permitting change of partner in genuine cases, as a player still would get an opportunity to participate in a tournament and earn individual points by playing with another player. This also could bring down the number of walkovers and withdrawals.
Time for drastic action
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But now, this has become an open joke. nyone watching All India Junior I feel the only way to stop this is to Ranking Tournaments over the last institute medical verification tests and to couple of years will understand the take severe punitive action against the erring depth of the age-fraud malaise affecting the players, say a three-year ban. I also feel that game. The national association made player action should be taken against coaches, IDs compulsory to prevent age irregularities. academies and associations who connive But we find players producing more than with the errant players and parents. two or three age certificates depending on requirements. Earlier, if an letter to THE editor under-15 player made There is a lot of an impact in the talent in the country under-18 category, it was considered a case and the game is becoming popular but if of outstanding talent and skill! I am sorry to we allow this fraud to continue a lot of real say that 90% of the achievements of players talent will get killed at an early stage. in younger age categories are because of By resorting to age fraud, many players age-fraud and not real talent!! succeed in securing the best possible It’s not just the player who has to be sponsorships/ international exposure and blamed -- it’s their parents, their coaches and prize money and selection to national camps the state associations. When you wake up in whereas the genuinely talented kids go the morning ask these questions to yourself empty-handed, frustrated, and tend to quit – are you a parent of a cheater? Are you a early. coach of a cheater? Then you are a cheater. In the 80s and 90s there were very few Krishna Kumar such cases and those resorting to them were Former junior international and coach not making any impact at the national level.
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GUTS - A Window into World Badminton
August - September 2011
Sai Praneeth shows his class The best young players of the country were seen in action in Mumbai and Bangalore, with Saurabh Verma and Sai Praneeth showing they’ve come of age, writes TR Balachandran
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he domestic season kicked off with the NSCI All India Seniors in Mumbai and the IFCI All India Seniors in Bangalore. The men’s singles event in Bangalore started off with two national champions biting the dust in the first round. Though the poor shuttle quality did influence these two upsets, youngsters Sumeet Reddy and Prakash Jolly showed great courage and commitment to overcome Anup Sridhar and Arvind Bhat respectively in long drawn out three-setters. Saurabh Verma, winner of the NSCI event, has started getting an Abhinn Shyamlike reputation for coming back from the brink. He demonstrated it twice in Mumbai, in the first round against Vinay Kumar Reddy and in the finals against Sai Praneeth. On both occasions, he rallied from match point down to come up victorious in the end. In Bangalore too, he survived close calls in his second round against Eshan Naqvi before comfortably winning the quarters and semis to reach the final.
time, it was a more intense and protracted encounter. Aditya served 16-8 in the first time before lapsing into errors and Prannoy did well to capitalise on it. Aditya equalised winning the second game and even led 9-6 in the third with both players looking tired due to long fast paced rallies. Prannoy showed better fighting qualities at 10-11 during the break to reel off 11 consecutive points to leave a bewildered Aditya behind. Prannoy in turn had few answers to Saurabh Verma, whose excellent defence quelled the attacking instincts of the Youth Olympics silver medalist. Sai outclasses Saurabh In the final, Sai Praneeth ensured that there would be no stunning comebacks this time for Saurabh and beat him 21-13, 1021, 21-16. Praneeth returned for the Men’s Doubles final as well where he completed his impressive double, winning it and becoming one of the few players who have won both the singles and doubles crowns in national level competition during the last ten years or so. Mumbai winners Tarun Kona and Arun Vishnu had to pull out due to Tarun’s foot injury and Sai and Nandagopal beat Akshay Dewalkar and Pranav Chopra 22-20, 14-21, 21-15.
winners Akshay/ Pradnya had lost to Sruthi Kurien/ Alwyn Francis in the quarters. It must be said to the credit of both Sai Praneeth and Pranav Chopra that they had played through injuries and excruciating pain during their final matches. It was a case of mind over matter for these two and young players would do well to learn to tolerate pain from these two who look to be the future of Indian badminton. Sayali capitalises The women’s field looked bleak with the top three and even Aditi Mutatkar and Mumbai winner PC Thulasi staying away. Sayali had notched good wins over Tanvi and Aditi before losing to Thulasi in the finals in Mumbai. She dominated the depleted field and won all her matches in straight games to win the women’s singles title beating Tanvi Lad in the final 21-16, 2117. Sikki Reddy, who has come back after an ACL injury, came through three tough three-setters to reach the semis where she had to concede against Tanvi. The Women’s Doubles final was probably the best match of the final day. Aparna/ Sikki and Prajakta/ Pradnya, the newly formed pairs, fought tooth and nail before Aparna and Sikki won 21-16, 16-21, 21-19 in an hour long match.
National Champions Pranav and Prajakta beat Arun Vishnu and Aparna Balan in the Mixed Doubles final 21-15, 22-20. Mumbai
Mohit blows his chance Sai Praneeth has been singled out by many as the most gifted player in India after Chetan Anand. His back-to-back Junior National titles, the bronze medal finish at the World Juniors and a near win against Kashyap in this year’s Senior nationals bear testimony to this fact. He amply demonstrated his fighting qualities when he saved no less than eight first game points before winning in straight games in his quarterfinal match against seasoned campaigner Mohit Kamat. Mohit seemed to be cruising in the first game, but he blew his opportunity and was too crestfallen to compete in the second. Another high quality encounter was the one featuring Prannoy and former junior national champ Aditya Prakash. Prannoy had thrashed Aditya in Mumbai and this
Sai Praneeth
A promising start for KBL p
The first of the events conducted as a ‘run-up’ to the Karnataka Badminton League 2011 was the KBL Inter Club Badminton Tournament held at the KBA Courts on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of October 2011.
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Quiz
The matches were competed with great intensity and when the dust settled, hosts KBA emerged victorious leaving ECA runners-up. KBA was ably assisted by former international Vijay Lancy.
The initial years might see sports aficionados buying teams for a cause and not expecting much return from their investments. One is fairly sure that this game also will attract prime TV time, slicker presentation, more sponsors etc. This will result in a win-win situation for all associated with badminton.
won the Indian players f o ir a p h ic h orld 1. W ng the BWF W ri u d ls a d e m bronze 2011? Championship tta etil & Jwala Gu a. Diju Valiyave omas ar & Sanave Th m u K sh e p u R . b a ra & Tarun Kon c. Pranav Chop nappa & Ashwini Pon d. Jwala Gutta ny medals in dia last won a In id d r a ye h 2. Whic ip? d Championsh rl o W F W B e th a. 1985 swers to send your an b. 1983 @gmail.com ia mintonman ad b c. 1993 d. 1995
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The challenge for the organisers is to enthuse badminton lovers to flock to the stadia to watch league matches. They will have to be at their innovative best to lure them to tackle Bangalore traffic and watch competitive badminton. Many a time, we see most young players of Bangalore give the senior tournaments a miss. What they or even their parents do not realise is that watching means learning. Here, both young players and parents have to be educated correctly. Team matches are all about team spirit, coping with pressure and performing under extreme stress. The earlier one gets used to such situations, the better it is for a player. The league will give players many such occasions and they will all add to the players’ experience. -TR Balachandran
Li-Ning Windstorm 680 Racket (Rs5,600) x2, 1 each for the 2 winners
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Li-Ning 9-in-1 Racket Bag model-ABLF506 (Rs2,350) x3, 1 each for the 3 winners
Winners can collect the prizes from:
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Prize
Karnataka badminton is at a crossroads. On one side is the encouraging fact that there are about 800 indoor badminton courts in the city and the state has the best domestic circuit in India. The vexing features are that there are hardly a handful of players -- especially women -- playing in the open events and that 90% of the hundreds who participate in the sub-junior category events drop out after their tenth standard. KBL is a worthy endeavour to stem this rot and make the game worth playing and lucrative at all levels and paying for all those are part of this game.
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Questions
Prize
With the KBL dates fast approaching there is a sense of urgency in the organisers’ measures. Along with the prize distribution function was a power point presentation about the KBL. Thomas Kunnath of Sports Excellence outlined the aim and objectives of organising such a league. He contended that this was to popularise the game and to elevate it to the level which it richly deserves. He exhorted every one present to chip in and make it a grand success. So infectious was Thomas’s enthusiasm that no less than three teams were booked during that evening.
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Li-Ning T-shirt (Rs900) x5, 1 each for the 5 winners.
Seven teams in
first KBL edition
The Karnataka Badminton League auction saw Ashwini Ponnappa being snapped up for Rs 2.5 lakh. The KBL will herald an era of professional badminton where everyone connected to the game will benefit, writes TR Balachandran
leaving them relatively lesser amounts to bid for top doubles players. Adarsh, the hero of South Zone 2011 where he steered the Karnataka team to victory over AP, was the most valuable with Rs 72,000 followed by Vineeth Manuel with Rs 68,000. Interestingly, Vineeth was Adarsh’s partner in that crucial doubles match in Irinjalakuda earlier this month. Nitya Sosale, top mixed player, went for Rs 30,000. Teams had only the bare minimum to offer for the three stand-by players.
he auction to select the players of the KBL Season 2011 got under way at the KBA Stadium at 2.00 pm on 24th October 2011. The auction was conducted by Sports Excellence along with Professional Event Management Company E9. There were seven teams in the fray: Aratt Fighters, HB Challengers, Flypower Warriors, Li-Ning Lions, K2 Smashers, White Peacock and AB Chargers.
Ashwini Ponnappa, Commonwealth Games gold medallist and bronze medallist at the World Championships in women’s doubles, entered the fray outside the cap amount of Rs 3.00 lakh. She would only be available to play league fixtures from 5th to 11th due to her international commitments. This did not deter the teams and they went hammer and tongs at each other to net this winsome lady. Finally, when the dust settled, Aratt Fighters were the knights in shining armour shelling out a massive Rs 2.50 lakh for Ashwini. Badminton was the big winner.
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Vijay Lancy, former international and National Games gold medallist, jocularly likened the atmosphere in the hall to an examination room, where relatively under-prepared students awaited a tough paper. He exhorted the participants to take part in the auction in a sporting manner. Next, it was the turn of KBL Brand Ambassador Vimal Kumar to inaugurate the auction. Vimal stressed on the need for the inaugural edition of the KBL to be a resounding success, in the interest of Indian badminton. Then it was over to Sasha Sambi of E9. In total, 114 players had registered for participation in the League in four events: men’ s and women’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles. The format of the League is two men’s singles, one men’s doubles, one women’s singles and one mixed doubles. The 114 players were split up into four groups of Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles / Mixed Doubles (Man), Women’s Singles and Mixed Doubles (Woman). The list was further broken up into three categories: A, B & C with base prices of Rs 30,000, Rs 20,000 and Rs 10,000. Bidding was for 14 players per team out of which there were three standbys, one each for Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles / Mixed Doubles and Men’s Doubles / Mixed Doubles. Apart from these ten, each team could pick four juniors of their choice for the lead-up matches prior to league matches. The minimum total bidding amount per team was Rs 2.5 lakh and the maximum was Rs 3.00 lakh. Ashwini Ponnappa was considered the only elite player among the lot and her bid amount was to be considered outside the purview of the maximum bid amount. The atmosphere in the auction room was electric when the No.1 men’s singles player of the league Mohit Kamat went up for auction. He went for 76,000. The highest bid for men’s singles players was Aditya Prakash and Prakash Jolly both of whom netted 86,000 each. Jacqueline Kunnath’s auction sent pulses racing and she was won by Aratt Fighters at a whopping 1.06 lakh. The success of the auction was a foregone conclusion by then. After the break it was time for the men’s doubles players. Unfortunately, most teams had drained their purses heavily
HB
CHALLENGERS
The KBL had the advantage of watching the progress of the Maharashtra Badminton League which took place a couple of months back. Even with that advantage, there were several issues regarding the bidding that had to be discussed, clarified and settled on the floor itself. It must be said to the credit of the auctioneer, organisers and teams that all were settled amicably with very little acrimony. The stage is set for the KBL 2011 with seven evenly matched teams vying for the total prize money of Rs 10 lakh. This heralds an era of professional badminton where everyone connected to the game will benefit. Kudos to KBA for letting the league to take off and kudos to Sports Excellence and team for bringing the league to a magnificent take-off. How the crowd, the press and sponsors respond to this event will probably shape the future of badminton in the state, nay in India.
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