Nitesh Kumar Urges Professional Set-Up for Para Badminton in India Amid Ongoing Issues with Badminton Association of India (BAI)
India’s Paralympic badminton champion, Nitesh Kumar, raised concerns on Wednesday regarding the lack of professional support for para athletes in the country. His comments followed India’s successful performance at the Paris Paralympics, where para shuttlers secured five medals, including one gold, two silver, and two bronze. Nitesh argued that despite this success, para badminton athletes are still not being treated on par with their able-bodied counterparts by the Badminton Association of India (BAI). He emphasized that the needs of para athletes, particularly those using wheelchairs or prosthetics, require more specialized attention from the governing body.
In a tweet, Nitesh expressed his frustration, stating, “Irrespective of the social media appreciation from BAI (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 & SAI (Sports Authority of India) to hand over para badminton to PCI (Paralympic Committee of India).”
Nitesh’s tweet highlights several logistical issues that para athletes face during international tournaments, including visa delays, improper travel arrangements, and insufficient local transport provisions that take into account the specific needs of para athletes. These shortcomings often lead to “humiliation” during travel, Nitesh told The Indian Express.
In response to these concerns, the BAI claimed that they had recently received formal responsibility for para badminton and had been addressing the issue. In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), the BAI stated, “BAI is working on a concrete plan for Para badminton & its future growth. Each of the medallists, coaches & staff will be hearing from us personally to understand, get insight on the action plan which is not alone about celebrating the success but long-term projects.” The statement included the hashtag #badmintonforall, hinting that a domestic para badminton circuit, a first in Indian para sports, would be implemented soon.
However, Nitesh was not satisfied with the response from BAI, pointing out that there has been a long-standing lack of encouragement for para shuttlers despite their success on the international stage. He expressed frustration that while BAI frequently congratulates junior able-bodied shuttlers, they had delayed acknowledging the achievements of para athletes even after winning multiple medals in major events like the Paralympics, Para Asian Games, and Para World Championships.
“BAI has hardly been encouraging para shuttlers though we won 5 medals at Paralympics. They didn’t even tweet congratulations until much later. We had 21 medals at the Para Asian Games and several at the Para World Championships. But there was no acknowledgement. They keep posting even the smallest detail of junior able-bodied shuttlers. Are we not good enough to recognize?” Nitesh lamented.
The final trigger for Nitesh’s request for the PCI to take over para badminton came after a meeting with India’s sports minister, where victorious para athletes expressed their concerns. According to Nitesh, the minister showed understanding of the situation and even suggested that the athletes approach the PCI for assistance. It was only after this meeting, Nitesh revealed, that BAI issued a tweet congratulating the para badminton team on their Paralympic performance.
The Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) is responsible for overseeing other para sports like athletics, swimming, cycling, and table tennis, while the Badminton World Federation (BWF), which manages international para badminton tournaments, currently works directly with BAI. This division of responsibility has historically caused logistical difficulties for para athletes in India.