After being at the receiving end of flak by players for its consistent lack of recognition and persistent administrative hurdles, the Badminton Association of India has announced that Paris Paralympics 2024 medallists will be rewarded with a total prize purse of INR 50 lakhs.
India won five medals – one gold, two silver, and two bronze – their most in any version of the Paralympic Games, and secured podiums in the women’s events for the first time at the recently concluded event in Paris.
Nitesh Kumar clinched the coveted gold in the Men’s Singles SL3 category, while Suhas Yathiraj (Men’s singles SL4) added to his silver haul from Tokyo with a repeat triumph in Paris. Thulasimathi Murugesan, Manisha Ramadass, and Nithya Sre Sivan made history by becoming the first Indian women shuttlers to secure medals at the Paralympics. Thulasimathi bagged the silver in the Women’s Singles SU5 and Manisha the bronze. Meanwhile, Nithya scored a bronze in the SH6 category.
The gold medal winner, Nitesh, will receive a purse of INR 15 lakh, silver medallists, Suhas and Thulasimathi, INR 10 lakh each and bronze medallists, Manisha and Nithya, INR 7.5 lakh apiece.
Commenting on the historic campaign of India’s para badminton players, BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra said, “Indian Para badminton players have been performing consistently on the world stage and the cash rewards are just one way for BAI to recognise their efforts in helping the country win medals at the Paralympics.”
“BAI is committed to developing and promoting para-badminton across the country and helping these players achieve much more success and many more initiatives to develop para-badminton are being undertaken,” he added.
Considering the tight tournament schedule of the players, BAI will also organise a virtual interaction session with these players to congratulate them and to understand their requirements for continued development.
It was on September 11 that Paralympic star Nitesh Kumar, frustrated with the administrative wrangling within the BAI, had called for para badminton to be transferred under the aegis of Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) for the sport’s betterment and progress.
“We have won 21 medals at the Asian Para Games, around 14-15 medals at the World Championships, and 5 medals at the Paralympics, but we don’t receive basic appreciation from BAI,” Kumar had told PTI.
“This isn’t a new issue; it’s a recurring problem. Their attention remains solely on able-bodied athletes, with minimal effort to promote para badminton.”
Kumar also expressed his dissatisfaction on social media after BAI congratulated the para shuttlers on their Paris performance via Twitter.
“Despite the occasional social media appreciation from @BAI_Media, we, the athletes, are highly dissatisfied with BAI’s lack of interest in para badminton.
“We sincerely request @Media_SAI and BAI to hand over para badminton to PCI, which has a better track record of supporting para sports,” Kumar wrote.
Kumar, an IIT Mandi alumnus, outlined several administrative issues affecting para shuttlers.
“There are significant administrative delays and inefficiencies. Often, only 1 or 2 people manage everything, and it’s kind of too much for them, they sometimes miss things.
“Few players, their entries were missed for the international tournaments at times, saying that their entry went to spam folder. We get things very late. There were a lot of times we are kept waiting at the airport. We don’t have transport from the local organizer because the payments were not done on time,” he cited various logistical issues that they face from time to time.
“The hotel rooms were not booked on time. We get flights at the last moment. These issues were particularly stressful during the qualification period, but now that we have some free time, we hope to address them.”
Kumar, who lost his left leg in a train accident in Visakhapatnam in 2009, emphasized the importance of resolving these issues to ensure better support for players in the future.
“We raised our concerns with the sports minister recently, and he assured us that he will look into the matter.”
Currently, athletics, shooting, and powerlifting are managed by PCI, while other para sports like badminton, archery, and table tennis fall under the respective national able-bodied federations such as BAI, AAI, and TTFI.
“First and foremost, we need a proper administration team. Currently, all responsibilities often fall on one person, which at times gets overwhelming. With a dedicated team, tasks can be distributed effectively and managed more efficiently,” Kumar continued.
“Additionally, establishing a clear communication channel is crucial. We need to know exactly whom to approach with concerns.
“Furthermore, the selection procedures are typically handled by a small group, without sufficient input from the players themselves. Involving experienced players in the process could provide valuable perspectives and improve decision-making.”
