BWF recently concluded its 86th Annual General Meeting in Xiamen, China, where Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul of Thailand was elected the new President of the Badminton World Federation, unopposed. While it was a landmark appointment as she became only the second woman to hold the position with Etienne Thobois from France as the Deputy President, there was one country that was conspicuously absent from the list of the newly-elected members—India.
It is an absence that will sting Indian fans. In the recent past, India has established themselves as a powerhouse in world badminton. With three Olympic medals, World Championship podium finishes, a healthy pipeline of talent and a rapidly growing domestic popularity of the sport, it is a surprise that India does not feature among the 20 new BWF Council members. The country that has given the world Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, the duo of Satwik and Chirag, HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen, among more, has no place at the sport’s most influential table?
While a representative from Pakistan was successfully elected.
In light of the recent terror attacks at Pahalgam and the broader geo-political tensions between the two countries, as India continues to grieve and respond, the optics of a Pakistani voice finding a voice in badminton’s global leadership while India not even being elected is difficult to ignore. Especially when the Badminton Association of India and its players have punched above its weight in recent years. It is not about questioning the credentials of those elected, or discrediting Pakistan’s nominations. But how is it that a country with India’s pedigree in the sport, passion and performance in badminton did not find a place at the BWF?
What does this mean and how will it impact India in the future? Was there a missed opportunity in lobbying or outreach? Were there any structural limitations? Or does India need to re-evaluate its international strategy in the corridors of power?
While the Badminton Association of India has done its best to promote the sport domestically, with hosting international tournaments to nurture new talents, the concern is the lack of Indian presence in the new BWF leadership. It strategically limits India in the global ecosystem of the sport. How will India influence the global narrative of the sport without a seat in the room where the sport’s future is being decided?
BWF will now look towards the LA28 Olympics with renewed ambition and India’s absence from its governing council is concerning. A reminder that while the sport continues its success on the court, it must be accompanied by global recognition and strategic leverage.
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