Asian Games: Indian badminton's best chance

The upcoming Asian Games presents Indian shuttlers with the best chance of winning a different metal colour. In the previous Asian Games, Indian badminton players have managed to win eight medals – all bronze – with the richest haul coming in the 1982 Asiad in New Delhi with five, three in individual categories and two in team events.

It was this 1982 Asiad where India had the best chance of winning a gold medal. Prakash Padukone was in his prime for the ninth Asian Games and many believed would win the yellow metal. But, he was denied participation as he was a professional badminton player and other participating nations objected to him entering the amateur field.

U Vimal Kumar, former Indian national champion and a contemporary of Padukone, recalled the 1982 Asian Games for DNA thus: "In 1982, Prakash was the world's best player. He was not allowed to play as he was a professional player and living in Denmark. Badminton became an open event in 1979. He was given the licenced-player status by the then world body, International Badminton Federation, and was earning prize money directly.

Even though some others who participated in the 1982 Asian Games like Liem Swie King of Indonesia were licenced players, they were allowed to participate.

"Prakash had just, in 1981, won the World Cup title in Malaysia, beating China's Han Jian including winning the first game 15-0. Prakash was not allowed as other countries including China and Indonesia objected saying India was allowing a licenced player to play in the amateur event. Prakash's absence helped Indonesia and China. Han Jian, who was silver medallist in 1978, went on to win gold in 1982. Even though China and Indonesia had licenced players, they said their prize monies were routed through their national federations, unlike Padukone."

Kumar said that Padukone "felt bad not playing in the 1982 Asiad". "He felt it was an opportunity lost. He was part of the Asian Games squad and was sitting in the sidelines and being with the team," Kumar said.
The Asian Games has not returned to India since, and India's medal count in the next eight editions have been a dismal two bronze – 1986 and 2014.

Bright chance now

Kumar, a former Olympian and chief national coach, said that the current shuttlers have the best chance of winning more than just one medal and also improve its colour.

"We have a good chance. I was a little disappointed with the men's players in the just-concluded World Championships – HS Prannoy lost in 2nd round, Kidambi Srikanth lost in pre-quarterfinals. We have a chance in team championships if we can pull out our singles matches. Japan, China, Korea, Indonesia are all strong."

Kumar, 1986 Asian Games participant with Syed Modi and Prakash Padukone, pinned his hopes on the women players – PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal in singles and Ashwini Ponnappa-N Sikki Reddy in the doubles.

"The last time, women played exceptionally well. That's how we got bronze. We beat Thailand in the quarterfinals and got to the semifinals, losing to China," Kumar, who was part of the 2014 Incheon Games coaching staff, said.

"This time also, there is a good possibility of qualifying for the semifinals. We have good depth in the singles. Sindhu has a very good chance. We can expect anything from her. Anything can happen at that level. Sindhu has been a little more consistent among the 8-10 top women's singles players. Even Saina has a chance if she is injury free."

Kumar, posed a rider, though. "It all depends on the draw."

The Asian Games will provide tough competition for Indian shuttlers, unlike in the Commonwealth Games, where they won two gold, three silver and a bronze.

"All the world's best badminton nations are from Asia. If the draw favours us and if the singles players can play to their potential, we have a decent chance of team medals," he said.

Kumar, co-director and chief coach at Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, was cautious of world No. 8 Srikanth's and No. 11 Prannoy's chances. "The recent performances from the men's section do not give a good picture. No player, barring Kento Momota of Japan, has been consistent. Considering that, our men's singles players who have beaten the world's best in the past, can win medals for the country. In men's doubles, world No. 23 Chirag Shetty/ Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have an outside chance," Kumar said.

When Padukone won in 10 minutes

The Indian men won team bronze in the 1986 Asiad in Seoul, losing 1-4 to China in the semifinals. India's only win was when Prakash Padukone defeated Zhao Jianhua 15-3 15-4 in just 10 minutes. U Vimal Kumar, member of that team, said: "We beat Japan in the quarterfinals and lost to china in the semifinals. Prakash was 31 then and beat Zhao Jianhua in just 10 minutes. Jianhua was Chinese best player and was only 21 then.

"I was due to play the next match against their No. 2 player Yang Yang and was warming up when our coach TPS Puri came running to me and told me to get ready. He said Prakash's match was over in 10 minutes. I thought Prakash had lost but he actually beat Jianhua. This was immediately after the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where our team was the best in the competition. But at the last tminute, PM Rajiv Gandhi decided to boycott the Games because of the British PM Margaret Thatcher's policy of keeping sporting links with apartheid South Africa."

ASIAN GAMES COUNTDOWN – 3 DAYS TO GO

FLASHBACK 2014

The Indian women's team won yet another bronze for the nation in this discipline, the second time they won a medal in this category, and 8th in all Asian Games. The team of Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, PC Thulasi, Sikki Reddy, Pradnya Gadre, Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanvi Lad lost 1-3 to South Korea in the semifinals. The men's team lost 0-3 to South Korea in the round of 16. In individual disciplines, while men's singles players Parupalli Kashyap and Kidambi Srikanth did not advance beyond round of 16, the doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy lost in last eight round. In the women's section, Saina Nehwal lost in the quarterfinal to Wang Yihan while PV Sindhu exited in the pre-quarters. The doubles pair of Sikki Reddy and Pradnya Gadre exited in pre-quarters in three fighting games.

2018 ASIAD BADMINTON SCHEDULE

August 19-22: Team events

August 23-28: Individual events

(Note: women's and mixed doubles gold medal matches are scheduled for August 27 while men's singles, men's doubles and women's singles gold medal matches are slated for August 28)

N-ZONE

8

No. of medals India have in Asian Games, all bronze. No other National Olympic Committee has won more than 4 badminton medals at the Asiad without winning gold

Did you know?

India did not send a badminton team to the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing, China. Then national champions U Vimal Kumar (men) and Madhumita Bisht (women) were selected to go but not sent due to financial constraints.

INDIAN BADMINTON SQUAD:

MEN

Men's singles: Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy

Men's doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/ Chirag Shetty, Manu Attri/B Sumeeth Reddy

Team: Srikanth, Prannoy, B Sai Praneeth, Sameer Verma, Rankireddy, Shetty, Reddy, Attri, Pranaav Jerry Chopra, Sourabh Verma

WOMEN

Women's singles: PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal

Women's doubles: Ashwini Ponnappa/ N Sikki Reddy, Rutaparna Panda/ Arathi Sara Sunil

Team: Sindhu, Nehwal, Sai Uttejitha Rao, Ashmita Chaliha, Aakarshi Kashyap, Gayathri Gopichand, Ponnappa, Reddy, Panda, Sunil

Mixed doubles: Chopra/Sikki Reddy. Rankireddy/Ponnappa