New Delhi, Jan 25 : The Badminton Association of India (BAI) is set to roll out an exchange programme with leading Asian nations to improve the skills of Indian shuttlers.
BAI has already held discussions with countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia to conduct training sessions in India and abroad.
“We have discussed with our Asian counterparts like Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand for an exchange programme under which our junior shuttlers can travel to their countries, while they can also come to India for training sessions,” BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra told PTI.
Asked what is the expected timeline for the program, Mishra said: “We have been busy with India Open but now we will focus on this and we hope to roll it out in a month or two.
“The host nation will bear the cost of accommodation, transportation, food and other expenses, while the travelling contingent will cover the flight fares,” he added.
Former India coach Vimal Kumar had recently floated the idea of organising Test matches and bilateral series against Asian powerhouses to raise the standard of Indian players, especially in doubles.
Calling for a sharper focus on doubles, Kumar said India must expose young pairs to international, team-style competitions by hosting bilateral series and Test matches against top badminton nations to achieve sustained success at the elite level.
Currently while the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty is among the world’s best, there is a significant drop-off beyond them.
“We should have a good understanding with Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Their under-21 teams should come and play Test matches with us. We can form a small circuit with these nearby countries and host it across three or four cities,” Vimal, co-founder and chief coach of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, had said during the India Open.
“Have an India versus Indonesia Test match, or add one more country and make it a triangular series. It is just 10 players per team. Everybody benefits,” the Dronacharya awardee had added.
However, Mishra said organising Test matches or bilateral series across multiple cities was not feasible at present.
“Organising a Test or bilateral series across different cities is difficult at this point,” Mishra said.
“But these training sessions, where 10 to 15 juniors travel to these badminton nations, will help improve their game. They will no longer have inhibitions while facing these opponents.”
While India’s junior shuttlers are yet to establish sustained dominance on the lines of Asian powerhouses such as China, they have shown steady progress in recent years. The home team achieved a historic milestone at the BWF World Junior Mixed Team Championships last year, winning its first-ever medal, a bronze, at the prestigious event.
Among the emerging talents, Tanvi Sharma claimed a silver medal at the BWF World Junior Championships and has delivered competitive performances against top international players.
She pushed China’s world No. 2 Wang Zhi Yi and world No. 9 Tomoka Miyazaki close and also defeated former world champion Nozomi Okuhara at the Syed Modi International last December. (PTI)
