MUMBAI: 25 year old HS Prannoy became the biggest buy of the 2017-18 Premier Badminton League, picked up by debut franchise Ahmedabad Smash Masters for Rs6.2 million, followed by 25-year-old Chinese shuttler Tian Houwei who was picked up by Delhi Acers for Rs5.8 million. Winner of the 2017 China Masters and the 2016 All England Championships Silver medallist, Houwei will be making his debut in the league this season and is the biggest foreign sale of this edition.
World Champion Viktor Axelsen was bought by the Bengaluru Blasters for Rs5 million, while World Number 1 in Women’s Singles Tai Tzu Ying will make her debut in PBL for Ahmedabad Smash Masters. Carolina Marin stays with Hyderabad Hunters for Rs5 million, while Tzu Wei Wang goes to the North Eastern Warriors for Rs5.2 million. World Number 11 Beiwen Zhang was bought by Mumbai Rockets for Rs3.3 million for her debut season in the league. World number 3 Sung Ji Hyun has been picked up by Delhi Acers for Rs5 million. The team also picked up world number 2 Two Son Wan Ho for Rs5 million and India’s top mixed doubles player, Pranaav Jerry Chopra for Rs1.8 million.
The fourth edition of the league will see two new teams – Ahmedabad Smash Masters and North Eastern Warriors being added to the mix. The North Eastern Warriors picked up South Korea’s 28-year-old doubles specialist Shin Baek Cheoul for Rs5.5 million and singles specialist Ajay Jayaram for Rs4.4 million.
Retained players like PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal stand to gain a 25 per cent jump in their pay this season. World number two Sindhu was sold for Rs3.9 million last season, while world number 12 Saina fetched Rs3.3 million.
Awadh Warriors retain Saina and Srikanth, while Sindhu stays with Chennai Smashers. Kidambi Srikanth returns to the Awadhe Warriors courtesy their strategic use of the “right to match” card, and will see only a 10 per cent raise in his last year’s pay – Rs 5.1 million, consequently. 31-year-old Parupalli Kashyap was also picked up by Awadhe Warriors for Rs 2 million.
Taking the 25 per cent pay increase into account, the Chennai Smashers would be paying Sindhu Rs4.875 million for her services. However, this is not all that icon players like Sindhu would be guaranteed. As per SportzPower’s understanding, all eight icon players will be paid appearance fees that tie in with their world rankings as well as brand appeal. Additionally, as the icon players are also effectively brand ambassadors of their respective teams, the appearance fees could also be termed as franchise endorsement fees.
The icon players stacked in descending order as per their rankings are Axelsen (Denmark), Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei), Son Wan Ho (South Korea), Sindhu, Sung Ji Hyun (Korea), Carolina (Spain), Srikanth, Tzu Wei Wang (Taipei) and Saina. As to what this translates into in money terms, as per SportzPower’s undertanding it would fall in the Rs5 million ball park per icon player.
Picture courtesy: Jagran Josh
