SUPERSERIES – India to make Elite debut

by Raphael Sachetat. Photos (archives) : Badmintonphoto

There were bad and good news on Monday Morning for VK Verma, President of Badminton India.  As the Commercial Director of Air India, there was grief after the crash of the Air India Jet in Mangalore, which killed 160 people, but badminton-wise, it was a day of joy for Mr. Verma and his staff: India had just secured its entrance in the elite circuit of the badminton tour: India was named as one of the 12 Super Series tournament hosts from 2011 onwards.

This new powerhouse of badminton has held some Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold tournaments in the past, but the main breakthrough came with the 2009 World Championships in Hyderabad, before getting ready for the Commonwealth Games later this fall.

“This is great news for us in India and in keeping with India’s rise in the WBF circuit,” Badminton India President Mr VK Verma said after BWF Executive Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur. “We are now ranked seventh in the world in both men‘s and women’s sections, having been placed at 30th position five years ago.”

National coach P Gopichand, who won the All-England title in 2001, said the hosting of the Super Series from next year would help the sport gain more popularity in the country. “It is a great moment for us. I am happy that we are at a stage today to host such a prestigious event as a Super Series tournament. India has been put on the world badminton map well and truly and this will be a boon for the badminton fraternity in India.”

The India Super Series is set to be staged in either Delhi with Bangalore and Mumbai as stand-by venues.

The good news for India, however, was not shared by everyone, as Switzerland has lost its Super Series status and hence leaves the top 12 tournaments in the world.

5 Premier Super Series

The BWF Council also decided that 5 Super Series would be upgraded to a “Premier Super Series” status, somehow close to a “Grand Slam” tournament, naming 5 countries to host these instead of the 4 expected. Korea’s bid was much higher than others, with US$1.2 million on the table for the Korea Open, while Indonesia came second with US$600,000 while China, England, Denmark put down US$350,000 to earn places among the top 5 tournaments in the world.

“There is more money in the sport.  We have our first ever million-dollar prize money tournament, and above all, the BWF received strong interest from our members to be a part of the Super Series circuit,” said Dr Kang, after chairing the Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

“These are positives for the sport and I firmly believe we are heading in the right direction in terms of developing and promoting the sport. The future is bright.”