NAGPUR: Badminton Association of India president Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the onus of fixing dates for the Senior Nationals will be on the big players henceforth to ensure that they will compete in them.
The BAI chief said it would be unfair to impose the dates of the Nationals and expect the bigger players to play in view of their demanding schedules, and from next year on, the BAI would “leave it to these marquee players to see how best they can spare three to four days in a year so that the BAI can finalise the Nationals dates.”
Acceding that the BAI respects the players’ commitments and the ultimate goal of winning as many medals for the country as possible at the highest level in continental events like the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the Olympics, he added, “We leave the option of those dates to the players and accordingly we will plan out the Nationals schedule.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the nationals that concluded here Wednesday, chief national coach Pullela Gopi Chand also said it would be unfair to expect the big names to play in every tournament given the kind of demanding schedule they have.
“If you look at the calendar next year, it is packed giving little breathing space. And, since the expectations are going to be high in the wake of the stunning performances of the Indian shuttlers, it is imperative we give the players the freedom to train, stay focussed and choose the events with adequate recovery time,” he said. “And, mind you, all this with the specific objective of winning more laurels for the country,” he added.
