The Indian Open could face the embarrassment of not meeting the expectations of a Grand Prix badminton event.
Last qualifying event for the Olympics requires 12,000 barrels of shuttlecocks
MUMBAI: The Indian Open could face the embarrassment of not meeting the expectations of a Grand Prix badminton event if a proposal to import 12,000 barrels of shuttlecocks and 12 court mats continues to lie buried in the red-tapism of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs.
Badminton Association of India president VK Verma told DNA that a proposal to import the shuttlecocks and the mats was put forward by the association over six months ago but nothing has come of it thus far. The $150,000 event was to be held from September 4 to 9 in Hyderabad, but security concerns following a bomb blast in the city forced the organisers to postpone the event that will now be held at the same venue from April 1 to 6.
“This is the last qualifying event for the Beijing Olympics and a lot will depend on how the players perform at the Grand Prix event. I just hope and pray that the Sports Ministry clears our proposal. We have told them that we are ready to import the equipment and would on a later date get the amount spent reimbursed,” Verma said.
SAI finds stock
A day after the BAI was forced to indefinitely postpone the camp for the Thomas and Uber Cup qualifiers that was to begin in Goa for lack of standard quality shuttles, the Sports Authority of India claimed that a sufficient number had been located. SAI director general Ratan Watal told DNA that the teams division had managed to procure the shuttlecocks from its Bangalore and Patiala centres and that they would be made available for the badminton camp at the earliest. “We want to facilitate the BAI and are trying our best to help them out,” Watal said.It is learnt that in all, the SAI has managed to pull out approximately 235 barrels from their centres.
However, national coach P Gopi Chand and BAI president Verma are yet to receive an official communication regarding the same. “We want to organise a camp but we will need a sufficient amount of shuttlecocks. There is no point in beginning a camp and then not completing the scheduled training,” Gopi said.
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