Badminton News: Many Kerala players are currently doing very well in international competitions. While HS Prannoy and Kiran George performed well in men’s singles, Treesa Jolly and MR Arjun surprised themselves in women’s and men’s doubles respectively.
What is common to these players is that after making their mark at junior level in the state, the four moved from Kerala to the badminton centers of Hyderabad and Bengaluru to further their careers.
HS Prannoy who is now the standard bearer of badminton players in Kerala believes that moving away from the state helped him and his contemporaries to achieve great heights in badminton as the state provided less player support.
“Our state has a reputation for producing the best players in the country. Even today, I think Kerala has the best talents in the sport in India. But I don’t see any of them going big any time soon,” said declared the Indian top. male badminton player, who ranked No. 8 in the world, shares his fears with TOI.
“Gaming has become very expensive these days. Parents find it difficult to make their children’s dreams come true. Parents usually support young gamers until they are 16 years old, but after that, the graph of the The money spent is starting to climb, and the players are feeling it’s hard to continue their career without sponsors. In the end, the majority of them are forced to quit their dreams halfway through,” added HS Prannoy.
The Thiruvananthapuram native believes that the number of players turning professional will decrease if they don’t receive the right support.
“There was no dearth of boot camps in Kerala during the summer holidays. But the question is how many of them take it seriously and turn professional. We can’t blame them because the game has changed a lot, and now they need huge financial resources.” support each other, at an early stage, to take their game to the next level.
“The solution is to seek financial support from all walks of life, including corporations and individual state governments. For example, in Odisha, the state government funds badminton like many other sports. But in Kerala, unfortunately, nothing like this happens. Players have to find their own way to the top league,” added Prannoy.
Meanwhile, Kerala Badminton (Shuttle) Association (KBSC) Secretary Rakesh Kumar said the association is doing its best to give maximum exposure to the players.
“Players like Kiran George, MR Arjun or Treesa receive financial support when they succeed on the national circuit,” he said.
“State support differs in different states. In Kerala, the state association sends selected U-15 players every year for a two-week training camp in the capital. Players like MR Arjun and Kiran George have been with the program since the beginning . . . of their careers,” Rakesh added.
Article tags: HS Prannoy, India
