IBC calendar reveals bonanza for shuttlers

Prakash Padukone after the press conference during which he released the IBC calender. JULY 14: Trust Prakash Padukone to come up with th...

Prakash Padukone after the press conference during which he released the IBC calender.

JULY 14: Trust Prakash Padukone to come up with the best. The ace shuttler who put India on the world badminton map with his All-England exploits and shook up the national sports scene by forming a parallel body — the Indian Badminton Confederation (IBC) — went a step further today by announcing the IBC calendar which provides prize money which up untill now was an average Indian badminton player’s dream.

Padukone speaking to newsmen at the Bombay Gymkhana, today, released the calendar which is sure to find BAI with more egg on its face. The IBC chief disclosed that they have planned a series of six Grand Prix (GP) events with prize money worth Rs 4 lakhs. The Super Series Finals will be held after the GPs with 16 selected players (ranking wise) participating for a total prize money of Rs 8 lakhs.

The calendar of events to be held from September to January 1998 also features the Inter-State Championships and the Senior Nationals have been allotted to Andhra Pradesh, while the Grand Prix will be hosted by Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra. The Super Series finals will be held in West Bengal. The total prize money in tournaments for seniors works out to Rs 37 lakhs.

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He said he was expecting the Badminton Association of India (BAI) to throw the spanner in the works. “We are expecting them to issue an ultimatum to the players regarding their participation in the tournament hosted by the IBC. But we are confident that the players will participate in full strength in our tournaments,” he said.

“We have formed the body only to help the players and since we have their full support, we are sure they will benefit,” he said.

The former all-England champion was of the view that many Indian players are better than what their world rankings suggest. “Our players do not get the opportunity to participate in many tournaments abroad. They only go for the majors like the Thomas, Uber, World Cup or the All-England. There are players ranked higher than Indians but are not any better than us. They get high rankings because they play in more tournaments,” he opined.

“Since 1992, when Badminton became an Olympic sport, even the second-level of countries have started doing well. Germany, New Zealand, Scotland, Norway and even Holland are the countries we used to beat easily. But now we are facing stiff competition from them too,” he added.

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On his discussion he had with the newly-appointed head of BAI, VK Verma, Padukone said he had received an unspecific offer which according to him “were not workable solutions towards the betterment of the game”.

“The BAI can join us (IBC) minus some officials. The IBC believes in giving due recognition to people with merit and not giving chances to people only because they are close to the powers that be,” was Padukone’s rapproachment offer.

Regarding recognition from International Badminton Federation (IBF), the world body, Padukone said: “The IBF would initially see that the players’ interests are protected…It’s only a matter of time. We have also written to the Indian Olympic Association, Sports Authority of India and the Sports Ministry. These bodies have certain procedures to follow before granting recognition. They will take an analytical view. Let them talk to all the people concerned with the game.”

Of the 28 states affiliated to BAI, 12 have joined the IBC and “more are expected to join us soon,” informed Padukone. “There are many states sitting on the fence, waiting for the modalities to be done with. The process of switching allegiance takes time and by September, when our tournaments begin, we are expected to have more states in our fold,” he added.