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The scent of glory must be beginning to waft in the air that surrounds the many sweat stained badminton stars milling around the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. The All England Championships are in many ways the Wimbledon of badminton, a sort of gold standard by which players are happy to be measured. With the exception of the Olympics, there is barely a prize that could come within the exalted neighbourhood of the Open Badminton Championships held annually inside the imposing arena.
The players might have come from the farthest corner in China or the most nondescript town in Europe, but one thing shall unite them this week – definitive purpose. They might traverse across Asia and Europe in search of a living, but the quest for glory ends here in Birmingham, at least for badminton players.
No matter the pedigree of the player, their insides will turn momentarily into a butterfly farm as the oldest prize in badminton fills their senses with unparalleled excitement. The best among them will use that energy to stride purposefully towards a weekend that could define their place in the hallowed halls of glory.
The legend of Rudy Hartono, one of the greatest players to have lifted a badminton racquet, was built around his success at this prestigious tournament. The Indonesian maestro won the title on a record eight occasions, seven of them in a row between 1968 and 1974.
Even the legacy of Lin Dan has been built around a substantive collection of medals from the tournament. Super Dan has been in 8 of the past 10 finals, winning five titles at this marquee event.
His successor Lee Chong Wei has also been incredibly consistent, having reached the final in each of the past five years. Injury might blight his effort for a third title, but the Malaysian is a determined warrior who can come through even when in strife.
The tournament rings in very special memories for a growing band of badminton fans in India too. The seeds for a meteoric rise in popularity of badminton in India were sown in England through a heroic performance.
The victory of Prakash Padukone over Liem Swie King, the nemesis to Hartono himself, is the stuff of legend. King was playing his fifth straight final and a third title seemed the most likely result. But on an inspired afternoon inside the Wembley Arena, Prakash came through 15-3, 15-10 to script his own epic.
Pullela Gopichand catapulted the game to the next level, riding on the crest of his victory over Chen Hong at the 2001 Championships. It was yet another stunningly dominant performance, a 15-12, 15-6 annihilation of the Chinese star that cemented the Indian’s legacy.
Gopi is now the coach of the Indian team and his stable in Hyderabad is churning out top class badminton players by the bucketful. He will be hoping that at least one among his disciples can make the next big leap and come back home with shining metal from this iconic event.
In an increasingly demanding sport, which requires supreme fitness, practiced skills, speed and stamina, it is the women who are in the forefront of this quest for lasting lustre. Saina Nehwal, ranked 7th and P V Sindhu, ranked 9th are in the hunt to become the first Indian woman to nail the prestigious title to their wall of glory.
It would set off a huge frenzy if either woman were to achieve the feat this week. But they have a mountain to climb and then travel some more to reach out for the elixir. The traditional powers from Asia and that inspired European, Tine Rasmussen, who seems to awaken at the scent of an English Rose, stand in the path of glory.
It is going to be a fierce battle this week as it has always been through the years, since the tournament began its hallowed journey in 1898. The racquet will only serve as a shield. Striding like a warrior on to the neon lit court, the players will need to summon skill, speed and stamina all the while drawing from the reservoir of will power to etch their way into folklore.
We will soon know whose weapons can survive the deafening grind and emerge this weekend in a blazing light of glory. Victory brings with it a handsome medallion and an inscription on the gilded pages of badminton history.
