Indian shuttlers failed to make a mark at the Sudirman Cup as their campaign came to an end after a 1-4 loss to Indonesia following a 1-4 defeat to Denmark earlier in the tournament. HS Prannoy lost to Jonatan Christie, although he won the first game, 21-19, 14-21, 12-21. PV Sindhu lost in straight games to Putri Kusuma Wardani – 12-21, 13-21. The Mixed Doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila were the only positives throughout the campaign as they won their opening match that lasted an hour. Their win gave India a 1-0 lead, but the team could not take the momentum forward.
Recently, Indian shuttlers have been blowing hot and cold in tournaments, prompting fans to raise concerns about the future of the sport amidst inconsistent form and a noticeable dip in performance. In an exclusive chat with RevSportz, BAI Secretary General highlighted key concerns surrounding India’s top shuttlers, particularly the struggles of star duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. He also pointed to rising injury issues within the Indian camp, including the sidelined pair of Gayatri Pullela and Treesa Jolly, as well as Lakshya Sen and PV Sindhu’s ongoing battle to regain form. Despite these setbacks, he remains hopeful about the future of Indian badminton.
Satwik-Chirag injury concerns
The secretary general opened up about the Sat-Chi duo and their struggle to return to court after Chirag conceded a match at the All England owing to a back injury
“Satwik had chickenpox, and Chirag was dealing with a back injury. He had to concede the match at All England and was undergoing rehab. He kept telling me, ‘Sir, don’t withdraw the entry (to Sudirman Cup). If I start playing, I’ll give 100%.’ said Mishra
A few days before departure, he said, ‘Sir, If I exert myself even a little bit I feel dizzy.’ The doctor warned him that long travel could make things worse. We can’t ask a player to risk his career for one tournament. These players are long-term assets. I told him, “No problem, we’ll win next year’s Sudirman Cup.” Mishra highlighted the extent of Chirag’s injury
When asked about Chirag’s return and how his recovery is treading, Mishra replied
“Chirag is pushing himself in rehab, sometimes even going to court before he’s fully recovered. The doctors scold him. But I believe he’ll be fine in 1–2 months.”
Treesa struggling with a serious shoulder injury, while Gayatri recovers from a back injury
The Women’s doubles pair of Gayatri and Treesa had only started making their mark in international badming, rising to a World Ranking of No.9 when the two were hit with injury setbacks.
“Gayatri has a back injury, and Treesa has a shoulder issue. There are doctor and MRI reports. The physios and trainers advised rest to Treesa—if she doesn’t rest now, it could lead to a 6-month or even a 1-year layoff.” Mishra outlined why the duo couldn’t participate in the ongoing Sudirman Cup.
“In these cases, we can’t blame the players. If the team isn’t 100% fit, we can’t expect full results.
On Sindhu, Lakshya and Prannoy: Commitment to making comebacks
After a long injury layoff, Sindhu returned to the court late last year at the India Open in Delhi, but exited early. Since then, she has struggled to regain form.
“Sindhu was also injured at one point, she could not perform (at the Sudirman Cup). But we can’t expect players to win 365 days of the year.”
One of India’s most successful Men’s Singles player HS Prannoy too has been struggling but is committed to making a comeback
“Prannoy is still supporting the team, he gave his all. But it’s not possible for every player to perform in every tournament. Putting too much pressure on them isn’t right.”
Sen, who stunned the nation with a brilliant performance at the Paris Olympics, has had his fair share of inconsistencies. While he could not take the court, he travelled with the team.
“Lakshya Sen went with the team despite injury. He told me, ‘If I feel okay during rehab, I’ll play.’ But he wasn’t fit, so Prannoy stepped in.”
The future of Indian badminton
While India struggles to make a mark in international tournaments, Mishra and the BAI continue to remain hopeful
“The negativity from outside, media, fans, can disturb players. It disturbs us too. But our juniors are only 17–18. If we demoralize them now, we won’t get a new batch.”
“In singles, we have young talents like Ayush Shetty, who won bronze at World Juniors, and others like Priyanshu, Rounak Chauhan, and Dattu. Among girls, we have Rakshita Ramraj, Tanvi Sharma, Tanvi Patri, they’re all showing great promise. Ruban, Hariharan, Sathish Karunakaran, Aadya Variyath, they will give us results in the future. Satish Karunakaran and others have already given in small tournaments.” Mishra emphasised the growing talent in Indian badminton.
“We’ll need 2–3 years for this group to mature. After that, the gap between international stars like Sindhu and the rest of the young players will be significantly reduced. The bench is getting ready but we’ll have to be patient.”