Indian Badminton in 2024: The highs, lows, and unanswered questions

Indian badminton entered 2024 with hopes of achieving glorious moments and Olympic medals. However, as the year concludes, Indian badminton has been left in a challenging spot, with limited success and more questions.

The biggest moment of the year was the historic triumph of the Indian women's team at the Badminton Asia Team Championship.

Guided by three youngsters - Anmol Kharb in women's singles and the doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand - with the talismanic PV Sindhu in tow, the team won India's maiden continental team title.

Yet, the rest of the year was marked by unfulfilled potential and setbacks.

Promise fades

India’s premier men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, began the year on a high, achieving runners-up results at the Malaysia Open and India Open.

They later clinched the French Open Super 750 title for the second time at the Adidas Arena, the venue for the Paris Olympics.

This victory heightened India's expectations for an Olympic gold in badminton men’s doubles for the first time.

However, injuries to Satwik’s back and elbow ahead of the Olympics derailed their momentum. From being ranked World No. 1, the pair slipped to No. 3 by June.

A month-long break before the marquee event left them rusty.

And once at the Olympics, despite an impressive start -where they topped their group by winning all matches in straight games - they appeared out of sorts in the quarterfinals against familiar foes Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia.

Satwik-Chirag started strong, clinching the opening game with a commanding 21-13 margin, raising hopes of a seamless path to the semifinals.

However, Chia and Soh adjusted their strategy, shifting away from smashes to engage in precise net exchanges. Not only did the tactical change catch the Indians off guard, it also ultimately leading to their undoing.

This defeat dashed India’s hopes of an Olympic gold medal, a heartbreaking moment for Indian badminton.

Satwik and Chirag had been consistent performers in the last few years, winning multiple World Tour titles and a historic Asian Games gold.

Unfortunately, an Olympic medal remained elusive.

To make matters worse, since the Olympics, they have competed in just one tournament, and have further slipped to World No. 9.

Disappointment in singles

India's exploits in both the singles disciplines were scant.

Lakshya Sen delivered a stunning performance at the Olympics, raising hopes by reaching the semifinals. However, his rigid game, not allowing him to change strategy mid-game, against the eventual gold medalist Viktor Axelsen cost him dearly.

In the bronze medal playoff as well, he conceded an early lead and lost to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, finishing fourth.

His medal would have sustained India’s streak of Olympic badminton medals, which began at the 2012 London Olympics.

The decline of HS Prannoy, who had rejuvenated his career after India's historic Thomas Cup win in 2022, was one of the year's most poignant outcomes.

In 2023, Prannoy looked unstoppable, clinching the Malaysia Masters and Asian Games bronze, and achieving a career-best ranking of World No. 6. However, a bout of chikungunya just before the Olympics put the breaks on his ascent.

Post-Olympics, Prannoy, now ranked 26th, is on a break and has since stayed off the court.

While Sindhu and Lakshya ended the year on a positive note by winning the Syed Modi India International and breaking their title droughts, Indian badminton was left grappling with many unresolved questions.

Despite the proliferation of badminton academies across India, the development of young talent capable of delivering consistent performances on the World Tour remains a challenge.

Malvika Bansod’s standout performance, reaching the China Open quarterfinals by defeating Olympic medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung and Denmark’s Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt in the Korea Masters, was a rare bright moment.

However, other youngsters failed to impress.

Notably, at the Syed Modi India International, Sindhu toyed with Unnati Hooda, who has long been deemed a player capable of succeeding the legendary Saina Nehwal, and defeated her in just 36 minutes.

The chronic problem of Indian youngsters struggling in major events persists. Both the Badminton Association of India (BAI) and the country’s coaches need to think innovatively to develop players of Sindhu’s caliber.

In men’s singles, the nation’s hopes continued to rest on Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy.

Priyanshu Rajawat, who had shown promise by winning the Orleans Masters in 2022, has since failed to meet maintain ascendency and this is cause for concern.

Glimmers of hope

Despite the challenges, the year was not entirely bleak.

Anmol Kharb’s emergence as a dependable player, defeating seasoned opponents in crucial matches at the Badminton Asia Team Championship, was encouraging.

Similarly, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand’s victory over Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida in India's thrilling 3-2 win in the semifinal of the Championship showcased their potential.

The duo also made amends for missing Olympic qualification by winning their maiden World Tour title at the Syed Modi India International and securing a spot at the BWF World Tour Finals - the only Indians to do so this year.

As Indian badminton embarks on a new season, the hope remains that Satwik and Chirag - under their new coach Tan Kim Her - will overcome their Paris Olympics disappointment, and Treesa and Gayatri will achieve greater consistency.

The emergence of youngsters like Tanvi Patri, who won the U15 title at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships, M. Raghu and Devika Sihag - the national champions in men's and women’s singles, and Anmol will be crucial for India’s badminton transition.

That said, India must invest in nurturing talent and addressing systemic issues to ensure badminton thrives in the years to come.