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There’s no denying that cricket remains the most watched and followed sport in the country. But lately several other sports, especially badminton, have also taken giant steps in bringing more youngsters into the sporting fold.
One of the biggest factors in badminton’s upsurge has been the stupendous success of Indian shuttlers on the global stage in recent times. Saina Nehwal has been an inspiration for budding players over the last few years, and her achievements in 2015 have further increased her fan base. The 25-year-old became the first Indian woman shuttler to reach the finals of All England Championships, and then created more history by becoming the first Indian woman to scale the top of the badminton rankings.
What is even more heartening to see, however, is the emergence of not just one, but a whole bunch of badminton stars from the country. Along with Nehwal, Kidambi Srikanth has also put in commendable performances in recent times. He won the 2014 China Open, where he defeated Lin Dan in the final, thus becoming the first Indian male shuttler to win a Super Series Premier title.
Another male shuttler who has done India proud is Parupalli Kashyap, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow last year. Then there are also the likes of PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy, who have repeatedly brought joy to their country’s fans with their giant-killing acts.
One of the advantages that badminton has is the fact that unlike say tennis or golf, the equipment required for the sport isn’t exorbitantly expensive. Parents of talented kids, therefore, don’t have to worry much while encouraging the young ones to take up the sport.
Almost everyone has played badminton in rudimentary form at some point of their lives or another, and this aspect holds the key to its growth in a developing sports nation like India.
Keeping all that in mind, PNB MetLife, one of India’s leading insurance companies, began an initiative called the PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championships. Organized in association with Sara Foundation, and supported by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and the Badminton Association of India (BAI), the tournament was open to kids under the ages of 9, 11, 13 and 15 years, with the championships held across the country in four zones – North, East, West and South.
The quarterfinalist from each zone qualified for the grand finale in New Delhi, and 8 national champions across all categories won the coveted scholarships from PNB MetLife. All the kids participating also got a chance to meet none other than Saina Nehwal, which in itself is a dream come true for most badminton fans! Some of them even got a chance of a lifetime to interact with Ashwini Ponappa and Vimal Kumar in Bangalore.
The objective of this tournament is to ensure that more youngsters cultivate an interest to take up the game. The initiative also aims to provide budding shuttlers an opportunity to play at a professional level, in the process helping to improve their competitive spirit.
More importantly, however, the initiative also gives underprivileged kids the chance to build dynamic and successful lives, by combining their academic pursuits with their athletic ones. The PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championships has been specially designed to reach out to kids coming from less privileged backgrounds, making the event an instrument of athletic as well as social change.
As part of their corporate social responsibility programme, PNB MetLife set up a scholarship fund with MetLife Foundation and CRY (NGO partner) for 16 talented underprivileged children. These kids were identified during the zonal matches by Sara Foundation and the Chief Referees based on the skill and talent they displayed on court. They are now being trained by top coaches in their local badminton academies.
In addition to this tournament, PNB MetLife also organizes the Housing Society Badminton Championships, which plays host to more than 750 societies with over 2 lakh households from all over the country competing in badminton. The unique event allows badminton fans to have a fun-filled day playing the sport with their neighbours and friends, with the winners from each society fighting for the ‘PNB MetLife and The Times of India RWA Badminton Champions’ title.
Then there is also, of course, PNB MetLife Corporate Badminton Challenge, in which people working in corporate enterprises get to take time off from work and engage in some spirited badminton. The tournament will take place in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi, and will involve competitions across three categories – men, women and families. Needless to say, the journey from the cubicle to the court is one that many sports enthusiasts will be eagerly looking forward to.
By spreading the badminton initiatives between kids, families and professionals, PNB MetLife is ensuring that the sport reaches out to all strata of society. The all-encompassing nature of the drive is an aspect that badminton growth in India was crying out for.
There is no doubt that cricket still continues to dominate the sporting headlines in the country. But if India keeps putting in strong performances in other sports on a regular basis, then we will certainly see a rise in popularity of those sports among youngsters. Initiatives that are aimed at developing sports at the grassroots level will only fast-track that rise in popularity, which in turn can help India become a sporting superpower in the years to come.
