Dismayed with the administrative logjam and lack of recognition from the Badminton Association of India (BAI), Paris Paralympic Games 2024 gold medallist Nitesh Kumar has called for para badminton to be brought under the aegis of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) for the sport's betterment and progress. (More Sports News)
The 29-year-old, who clinched a historic gold in the SL3 class at Paris 2024, said para shuttlers needed to be treated on par with their counterparts.
"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," news agency PTI quoted Kumar as saying in a report.
"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," he added.
Kumar also took to social media to express his dissatisfaction, after BAI congratulated the para shuttlers on their Paris performance on Twitter (formerly X).
"Irrespective of the social media appreciation from @BAI_Media (which is very rare), we the athletes are highly dissatisfied with the response & the interest from BAI regarding Para badminton responsibilities, we sincerely request BAI & @Media_SAI to handover para badminton to PCI,” Kumar wrote.
Kumar, an IIT Mandi alumnus, highlighted various 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 several logistical problems that they keep facing.
"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, underscored 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 sports federations such as BAI, Archery Association of India and Table Tennis Federation of India.
"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 added.
"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," he concluded.
(With PTI inputs)
