Chipalkatti meet falls one peg

PUNE, April 27: The Maharashtra Badminton Association (MBA) tournament calender for the badminton year 1997-98 was quite encouraging with fo...

PUNE, April 27: The Maharashtra Badminton Association (MBA) tournament calender for the badminton year 1997-98 was quite encouraging with four major National-level tournaments being conducted – two in Pune (Late V V Natu and the Late Sushant Chipalkatti meets) and as many in Mumbai (Badminton Lovers’ Trust and the Veterans Nationals). However, the calender released for the year 1998-99 has sprung major surprises some encouraging, some discouraging.

First the good news. The major pleasant surprise is the initiative of the Badminton Lovers’ Trust, Mumbai who have taken up the task of organising the first and the seventh Grand Prix tournaments which form part of the Super Series initiated by the country’s apex body – the Badminton Association of India (BAI).

The major casualty this year, is the Late Sushant Chipalkatti meet for juniors which has dropped in National status. This year, the tournament will be conducted as a state-level meet instead. The main reason, revealed an MBA official, is `scarcity of funds’ faced by the Sushant Chipalkatti Memorial Trust the organisers. However, keeping in view the need to preserve the memory of the former junior Indian star, Laxmi Krida Mandir Club, who are pioneers of junior-level activities in Pune, has stepped in to help the trust in continuing its endeavor of promoting juniors by providing active organisational and partial financial support. In fact, the meet would be the first junior selection meet of the three scheduled for the year.

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The V V Natu Memorial which is being held for the fifth consecutive year would thus continue to be the premier event concerning Pune. The rest of the itinerary is quite similar to that of 1997-98, with Thane being given honours of conducting the Senior State and Inter-District team championship, while Mulund Gymkhana registered with the Mumbai Suburban district body has been opted venue for the Junior State and Inter-District Championship.

Likewise, as per the MBA roster, the West-Zone Inter-State championships will be hosted by the Gujarat Badminton Association (GBA). A matter of grave concern, however, seems to be the lack of initiative from minor districts and more surprisingly from a well-developed district like Pune where not a single senior state-level tournament has been scheduled. The exception however, is that of Jalgaon where two junior and senior state-level tourneys are being held this year although for players from restricted districts.

The lack of initiative might just prove to be discouraging for the future development of juniors from these districts who have just entered the senior section, owing to a lack of exposure.