What’s the story?
Reigning Olympic champion and one of the most popular athletes from Spain, badminton ace Carolina Marin is now flying the flag for Spanish football in India. As part of the Spanish La Liga’s promotional efforts to boost the league’s visibility in the country, Marin conducted a badminton masterclass at the Modern School in Delhi for members of the media.
She is in town to contest the BWF Yonex Sunrise India Open Superseries tournament and on Monday, gave the Delhi media a chance to get a hands-on experience of the sport. It was a unique experience for the journalists, exchanging a few rallies against the best in the business.
“I have previously had the honour of playing badminton in India but this was a good opportunity for me to teach the sport to people who help in making us who we are. It was a great teaching experience for me personally. I would like to thank the La Liga for showing confidence in me and for giving me this opportunity to represent them at the global stage,” said the two-time world champion.
In case you didn’t know...
The La Liga is the organising body of the first and second tiers of Spanish football and its top flight, the La Liga Santander, is considered to be the best domestic club competition on the planet. It includes the likes of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla FC, who have dominated European and global club tournaments in the past few seasons.
Marin, of course, hardly needs any introduction. She won the gold medal in the women’s singles event at the Rio Olympics, defeating India’s PV Sindhu in the final. She is a two-time world champion, European champion and is ranked number two in the world.
The heart of the matter
Following the screening of the El Clasico in December at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, this was another event organised by the La Liga for its promotion in our country. The previous one saw UEFA Champions League and Indian Super League winner Luis Garcia come to India, where he spoke about the challenges of playing in the ISL in an exclusive interview.
In an auditorium filled with ecstatic school children, Marin wowed the audience with her movement and skill, while also giving a few tips to the members of the media who sparred with her.
What’s next?
After a disappointing display at the All England Championships, the Spaniard will be looking forward to lifting the India Open Superseries. She faces off against Korean Kim Hyo Min in her opening round of 32 encounter.
Author’s Take
It was a great event, thoroughly enjoyed by the participants. Such interactions are a great way to promote the La Liga in India, where the likes of Marin enjoy great popularity.
