Indian Badminton League – The biggest breakthrough for the sport?

India led by example by setting up the Indian Premier League. Such is the case with badminton as well. The Indian Badminton League which begins today is something which perhaps nobody would have even thought of watching live on a channel like Star Sports at a prime time slot. But this will become the reality and its success would perhaps propel other countries to set up their own leagues with a similar concept, just as cricket has the Australian Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League and the Bangladesh Premier League.
Sport has now become a business, just as cinema. Indian players in particular need to make a living firstly, and in a recessionary period across the globe, this tournament gives them an incentive to do well for their country too. The same could go for players of other nations as well. And secondly, in order to be competitive internationally, they get to mingle and learn about each other’s strategies.

So for instance, India’s young hope Ashwini Ponappa will rub shoulders with Denmark’s champion doubles player Joaquim Fischer in the mixed doubles contests for the Pune franchise which is owned by Dabur India Limited, which also co-owns IPL’s Kings XI Punjab. 

Sunil Gavaskar, the original Little Master is apparently an avid badminton fan after cricket and thus ‘doubles’ up as not only as one of the co-owners of the Mumbai franchise but also as one of the brand ambassadors of the tournament. The other ambassador is Deepika Padukone, who is of course not only the most happening Bollywood actress at the moment but has badminton in her heritage due to her father, Prakash Padukone being a legendary player in this game.

The Sahara Group continues to extend its foothold in sport by purchasing the Lucknow franchise of this tournament as well apart from the hockey one and the Pune franchise in the IPL. Although they may be one of the weakest teams on paper, but their captain PV Sindhu is hogging the maximum headlines at the moment for her bronze medal in the World Championships and thus this could be crucial in their brand value perhaps being higher than other teams.

Delhi and Bangalore seem as formidable as Pune for a third placed finish. However, the two most expensive franchises, Mumbai and the famed PVP Ventures owned, Hyderabad will start as favourites since they have Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, who is the World No.1 in men’s singles and Saina Nehwal respectively.

Barring its marketing to some extent, this is a tournament which has everything in it to be a massive game changer.