The IBL has changed the way people look at badminton

It stuttered to a start, had blips in the middle, was beset by delays and copped criticism over a ‘backroom approach’. But you cannot deny that the Indian Badminton League, despite all these facts, is a tournament which will only grow in the coming years.

As Saina Nehwal put it after leading her franchise Hyderabad Hotshots to the inaugural title after a 3-1 win over Awadhe Warriors, the IBL has certainly put badminton on the map ‘big time’: “Without a doubt. See these things happen (referring to early criticism), but no one expected it to be such a success.”

Any new league that comes up in the country, in any sport, is instantly compared to the Indian Premier League (IPL), and styled after it. The IBL also fell victim to the comparison, just like the proposed football tournament IMG-Reliance have planned in association with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) next year.

Saina thinks the time for such a comparison is not right: “You cannot compare it to the IPL (Indian Premier League) at this point, because the IPL is so big in itself. But look at the crowds that have come to see us. I’ve never seen such a crowd at the Nationals.”

And that’s true. Even a stadium that is 75 percent full is a massive encouragement.

While cricket enjoys the status of being the unofficial national sport, with the team filling stands regularly across the country, it isn’t the case with a game like badminton. But the IBL’s success, even if not overwhelming, has certainly made the sport popular by leaps and bounds.

Consider asking yourself if you would recognise K Srikanth or Ajay Jayaram or even Pradnya Gadre if they walked past you. All of them are players in the top-50 of the world rankings, regulars on the national and international badminton circuit and stars in their sport – but their connection to the Indian sports fan has never been intimate.

After the IBL, it will be a different story. As they make their way towards press conferences, word quickly spreads around the stadium and people rush for an autograph to the annoyance of burly security guards surrounding them. One may say it’s the adrenaline pumping for the occasion, but look at it the other way – these guys are now wanted, loved, adored and respected by people.

Badminton is now not just Saina Nehwal. Or for that matter, Jwala Gutta, PV Sindhu and P Kashyap. Badminton in India is more – it’s about Srikanth, Jayaram, Guru, PC Thulasi, Ashwini Ponnappa and other young Indians. It’s about international stars who’ve made their mark – about Juliane Schenk, Lee Chong Wei, Fischer Nielsen, Tine Baun and Markis Kido.

People, on TV and from stadiums, have now experienced first hand the potential of India in badminton. While there’s no doubt that Saina’s medal at the Olympics and Sindhu’s at the Worlds created a buzz, the IBL was the spark needed to usher a new type of awareness. What it has also done, is pit India’s players against each other and against the world’s top players – and such competition is vital for the sport to grow.

“Saina jeeti?” the taxi driver asked, before quickly bombing another question, “Aur apna Lee Chong?”

It took some explaining to do that Lee Chong wasn’t playing that night, but it was a moment that made you realise that the tacky presentation ceremony, the ridiculous change in player values, the hiccups in handling the media, the dollar-rate controversy that may blow up, the slightly overpriced tickets and the fast shuttles can be forgiven for one thing – the recognition of a sport other than cricket…