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In a massive setback for the Grand Prix Badminton League, top Indian badminton players will be skipping the tournament under pressure from the Badminton Association of India.
With the event slated to begin in Bangalore on Sunday, August 27, organizers will be left scrambling after this last-minute development.
Mithun Manjunath, the rising young Indian badminton star who was the top buy at the Grand Prix Badminton League players' draft, has reportedly pulled out of the league. Manjunath was bought by the Chennai Superstarz team for a whopping 14.5 lakh after his recent performances which included taking down ex-world champion Loh Kean Yew at the Australian Open.
Possibly joining Manjunath in skipping the tournament will be men's singles star and world championship bronze medalist B Sai Praneeth. Praneeth was going to be playing on behalf of the Northeast Rhinos after they bought him for 10 lakh at the auction held on August 5th.
Indian badminton players threatened retrospective action for participation in GPBL
Many welcomed the Grand Prix Badminton League with open arms, claiming that the event would fuel Indian badminton's popularity while giving opportunities and experience to younger players.
However, the Badminton Association of India was against Indian players participating in a league it deemed "unrecognized".
The Indian badminton association had initially sent out a circular asking Indian players to refrain from participation, but the GBPL committee managed to secure an interim go-ahead from the Karnataka High Court.
In the most recent development, BAI stated that the petition wasn't judged on merit and that the association would be free to take retrospective action against participating players if the case was eventually decided against the GBPL.
This statement on the Badminton Association of India's behalf has seemingly unsettled several Indian shuttlers, as they reportedly did not take their designated flight to Banglore. It remains to be seen if the GBPL organizers retaliate.
