'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQf/2gAIAQEAAAAAEmn/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE/9oACAECEAAAAC//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE/9oACAEDEAAAAG//xAAiEAAABQQBBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEBQAGEkERExQhMTL/2gAIAQEAAT8Ahb7iYaJUjmVuMG6CaosXCIIAsLjPI6ZDKm4E3z7ENU5eW53CvQjHBUchwATeQLrdf//EABcRAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECACH/2gAIAQIBAT8AiVXu/8QAGBEAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECEkH/2gAIAQMBAT8AUq4f/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Over the last couple of years, the sport of badminton has come to the forefront in India, in terms of both popularity and appeal. To the common eye, it would appear that this renewed interest, once spiked by the success of Pullela Gopichand at the All England Championships in 2001, is once again down to the country’s shuttlers doing well internationally, the most notable of them being current world number 8 in the women’s, Saina Nehwal.
It is true that a lot of Gopichand’s prodigies such as Saina, PV Sindhu and Parupalli Kashyap amongst otehrs have emerged onto the world stage and with that have generated a keen sense of interest amongst followers of the game, both old and new.
But sometimes it is quite easily forgotten that to produce players of such quality, it is essential that a robust and productive setup be put in place, a supply line that constantly churns out good badminton players after having picked up the best talents and groomed them along the way to help further the cause of both the individual as well as the sport.
The Tamil Nadu Badminton Association (TNBA) and the Tamil Nadu Badminton League’s (TNBL) efforts fall into this very category.
Last year’s final played out between Chennai Singams & Dazzle Force
Much before the advent of the Indian Badminton League (IBL), which hit the country last year amidst much fanfare, the TNBL had come up with the same concept and begun organizing the franchise-based competition since 2012,close on the heels of the Maharashtra Badminton League which can be credited with being the pioneer for this concept. The TNBL attracts top players from the all over India, especially the state of Tamil Nadu, as well as from abroad. The TNBL is two seasons old now (2012 and 2013) and this year is coming back as part of a much larger initiative backed by the TNBA.
May is traditionally one of the most brutal months in terms of the weather in India’s southernmost state as the mercury soars, but this time the badminton action promises to be hotter as a month-long ‘Tamil Nadu Badminton Festival’ has been planned. As against previously where the TNBL was an event in itself, it will now be a part of this month-long celebration of the game of badminton with the festival concluding with the competition.
The festival will comprise of four major components:
1. A badminton talent camp – aimed at encouraging people to pick up the sport, especially students, and targeting various schools, colleges and corporates.
2. A Champions development camp – to be held across five venues in the state, it is aimed at providing systematic coaching for the top students in the state.
3. An inter-corporate tournament – a competition that will look at getting a corporate associated with each team in the IBL.
4. The Tamil Nadu Badminton League
More on the TNBL
The TNBL was a concept hit upon by Aditya Elango and debuted in 2012 under the auspices of the TNBA. The format is very similar to the one used in the IBL – five matches in a tie viz. men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles. If anything, it can be argued that the IBL’s format was inspired by that of the TNBL. There is league stage where all the teams play each other in a round-robin format, followed by a knockout stage that takes place between the top four teams.
(From L to R): Mr. Rajnikanth – SDAT Coach, Mr. T Maran – Technical Advisor TNBA, Mr. Sanjeev Sachdev – Former national coach & Technical Advisor TNBA and Shri. Ashok Bajaj – Secretary TNBL & Treasurer BAI
A total of six teams battled for the crown with the Erode Eagles emerging victorious in 2012 while Dazzle Force claimed the trophy last year. The TNBL was the first league in India to include foreign players while it also holds the unique distinction of being the first to hold a badminton match inside a mall.
The bigger, better TNBL as part of the Tamil Nadu Badminton Festival
Though the event is going to be entering its third year, the 2014 edition is going to see a new avatar. As mentioned earlier, the TNBL will provide the grand finale to the long period of badminton festivities, but that apart there are a whole host of other things that are being added to this year’s program:
1. New CEO – Kishan
With TNBL 3, the goal is about providing the right returns from the tournament to the various stakeholders associated with it. In order to drive TNBL as a brand, the league has a new CEO in Kishan, who has had extensive experience previously in investment banking, besides being extremely passionate about badminton and sport in general.
2. Live telecast on national television
The league will hit the screens too this time around as the league aims to popularize the sport as well as the various parties that are supporting the game.
The 2012 edition of the TNBL held at Express Avenue Mall in Chennai
3. Matches in the mall
After holding matches at the Express Avenue Mall in Chennai in the first edition, the tournament had moved back indoors last year. This year, the TNBL returns to the mall, with the matches scheduled to be held at the Forum Mall in Chennai. TNBL has tied up with Forum Vijaya Mall to be the official mall partners.
4. Participation of only international and national players
Officials associated with the league are going all out to try and rope in some of the country’s top badminton stars (top 20) as well as top foreign stars, as they attempt to grow the profile of the event.
The Tamil Nadu Badminton Festival will go on through the entire month of May, while the TNBL 3 Cup for professionals will be held between 26th May 2014 and 1st June 2014 at The Forum Mall at Vadapalani, Chennai.
This latest expansion in the scope of the TNBA augurs well for the sport and also goes to show the kind of following and popularity that the sport has gained in the last few years. Ultimately, it’s about taking the game to the masses in order to enable them to connect with the players and the sport and this year’s installment of the TNBL along with the mega badminton festival will go a long way in ensuring that.
