Badminton News: India's top players, including Saina Nehwal, have backed a new outdoor badminton format, AirBadminton, saying the sport has the potential to provide an alternative career for veteran professional players.
Outdoor badminton is one of the favorite recreational sports of Indians and there are places in the country where it is also an option to earn money.
The Airshuttle, the most important element of this format, was designed to have the same trajectory, acoustics and feel as an indoor shuttlecock. This will have minimal impact on crosswinds and limited influence on humidity variations.
The Olympic bronze medalist and former world number one said Airbadminton would further promote the sport, taking it to various corners of the world.
“In India, we are mainly introduced to the sport as an outdoor game only. We play it with our parents and friends outside the house. “This is a great initiative by the BWF to bring it to the forefront and promote it,” Saina said.
“I am sure this will encourage amateur athletes to participate more and the popularity of this game will increase around the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, 2017 US Open champion HS Prannoy believes that Airbadminton can provide an alternative career for retired international and domestic players.
“Indoor badminton is much more physically demanding, so players after retirement can continue to play airbadminton while having an alternative career,” he said.
“There is a lot of money in outdoor badminton. Especially in Kerela, I have seen players going to different places, playing every night and earning a lot of money, so it is a good initiative,” added Prannoy.
Pranoy also has memories of watching his father play badminton outdoors during his childhood.
“My father played badminton outside. About 300 to 400 people would come and watch and it was fun as a kid to see the interest in the sport. “The popularity of indoor badminton is less than outdoor badminton because in villages they only know about outdoor badminton,” he said.
Parupalli Kashyap, the 2014 CWG champion, recalled how he struggled to control the shuttlecock when he faced compatriot Sai Praneeth at the Swiss Open in March.
“It was windy and it was very difficult to play but I think in less windy conditions it would have been fun. It’s a good experience,” said Kashyap, who played outdoor badminton at the primary level.
Article Tag: Saina Nehwal, Parupalli Kashyap, HS Prannoy, AirBadminton
