PV Sindhu, K Srikanth, Saina Nehwal and co are all set to descend upon Nagpur, which is hosting the grandest ever badminton senior national championships from Saturday.
Up to eight Indian singles players who are ranked in the world’s top 50 have been given a direct entry into the pre-quarterfinals this year, along with four doubles pairs in the quarterfinals of each category, which is a first for the Nationals.
The total prize money for this year’s edition is Rs 60 lakh – the highest ever in the tournament’s history – with the title winners in each category set to get richer by Rs 2 lakh.
The Badminton Association of India’s vision behind the revamp is to take the Nationals on par with Superseries tournaments around the world to attract the country’s top international players every year.
“There was a clear thought of transforming the Nationals this year into an event which has been more of a ritual into a tournament where top players aspire to compete like any Superseries in the world,” said Arun Lakhani, a member of the core committee of the Badminton Association of India, and president of the Maharashtra Badminton Association, which is organising the Nationals this year.
“We want this to be a national event where everybody participates and marks it on their calendars every year,” he added.
Top facilities but at what cost?
Asked what is different this year compared with previous editions, Lakhani said that the organisers have tried to provide the kind of facilities that top players expect during international tournaments such as Superseries.
“Unless we give them the same kind of conditions, it will be unfair to ask them to come and play in the Nationals because they may fear injuries,” he said. “We are trying to give them the best playing conditions in the stadium by way of lighting, supporter mechanism, residential arrangements, food and prize money.”
All this would have come at a considerable cost. While Lakhani did not delve into the figures, The Field has learnt from reliable sources that the entire tournament would not have cost less than Rs 4 crore, which is on par, if not more than, what it costs to host a Superseries event.
Asked if other state associations in the country will be able to afford hosting an event on a similar scale in the future, Lakhani said the the BAI’s main objective behind this expenditure is to make the tournament attractive enough for broadcasters to want to buy rights for it from next year.
The Nationals have so far been broadcast by Doordarshan and All India Radio. The public broadcaster hasn’t ever paid for the rights.
“In the last 10-15 years, you have never seen the top players compete in the Nationals,” Lakhani said. “Once we show that top players do come and play, I’m sure next year wherever it happens the organisers will have enough revenue from the broadcasting rights itself to make it better than what we are doing here.”
Experimenting with the format
The BAI has come under criticism for its decision to give the top Indian players a direct entry into the later stages of the tournament, rather than the opening round. Lakhani said the federation had to consider two aspects.
Firstly, by making the top players compete from round one, it opens the possibility of them playing for seven straight days, which is two more than what they do at Superseries events.
Secondly, it also increases the chances of eliminating lower-ranked players who would come up against India’s star shuttlers in the early rounds. “We are bringing the top players into the round of 16 [in singles and quarterfinals in doubles],” said Lakhani. “They have proven themselves continuously over the years to maintain their rank. Merit-wise I don’t think we are doing injustice to anybody.
“Eight other players will come to the round of 16 from the earlier rounds. These eight players can beat the top shuttlers as well because they are equally talented. They will be more conversant and adapted to the court since they would have played more,” he added.
This year’s Nationals is an experiment that will be considered a success if India’s top shuttlers themselves decide to take part in next year’s edition, Lakhani said. The BAI is open to reworking the format depending on the outcome and feedback, he added.
“I think there will always be pros and cons to any decision or action that we take,” he said. “I will not say that there cannot be counterarguments but this is an experiment. Once we do this, we will know more and can properly refine it or change it by the time the next Nationals come.”