In a massive boost to the sport in the country, the India Open badminton championship was on Saturday elevated to the Super Series status.
The Grand Prix gold event since its inception in 2008 (the tournament was postponed after the Hyderabad blasts in 2007) was granted the prestigious status by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for a three-year period starting next year.
“We were in talks with the BWF since more than an year and I am happy that we finally got the nod after an executive council meeting in Kuala Lumpur today,” Badminton Association of India president V.K. Verma said from Kuala Lumpur.
The event staved off the challenge from the Swiss Open to bag the honour, after garnering creditable support from the non-European countries. “We won the vote against the Swiss Open 10-7 with all non-European nations supporting our bid,” Verma said.
With the newly accorded status, the India Open will be a $500,000 affair (with prize money of $200,000) featuring world’s top 32 shuttlers in the men’s and women’s singles and doubles categories. The Syed Modi Memorial tournament which is held every year in Lucknow will continue to be a Grand Prix event. The tournament will be hosted at the newly-built Siri Fort Badminton Stadium in New Delhi with Hyderabad and Mumbai kept on stand-by.
“We zeroed in on the Siri Fort Stadium after the successful organisation of the Badminton Asia Championships and also keeping in mind that it will be used during the Commonwealth Games in October,” he said.
Verma rubbished apprehensions about a weak Indian challenge in the event with only the likes of Saina Nehwal, Chetan Anand, Arvind Bhat and the mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V. Diju falling in the top-32 bracket.
“A lot of youngsters have come up with good performances at the world junior championships like P. Kashyap and R.M.V. Gurusaidutt in the men’s section and N. Sikki Reddy and P.C. Thulasi in the women’s category. So, by the time the event is held, I am confident India will have at least 12 shuttlers playing in the main draw,” he added.
Meanwhile, national coach Pullela Gopichand, who won the All-England Championships in 2001, expressed his pleasure saying that it would broaden the game’s base.
“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,” he said.