A Tough Road Ahead

India’s B. Sai Praneeth defeated countryman K. Srikanth in the final of the Singapore Open. Despite the commendable effort from the duo, more titles at the elite level will be hard to come by. The overseas players concede that the TOP INDIANS have the skill to beat most of the elite names but lack the fitness to grind it out over a week to win the title.

- Rakesh Rao

In the global arena, Saina Nehwal and P. V. Sindhu have given Indian badminton fans plenty to cheer for. Over the past few years, the duo had also raised a strong possibility of making an all-India final in an elite event.

But they were beaten to this feat by two men, who exceeded expectations in Singapore and set up a face-off in the title-clash.

B. Sai Praneeth and K. Srikanth, ranked 30th and 29th in the world and unseeded in a Badminton World Federation super series event, made India only the fourth country — after China, Indonesia and Denmark — to have both the finalists in a premier competition.

THIS DREAM RUN FOR the two Indians provided a huge fillip to the growing fortunes of the sport in the country. For long, Saina and Sindhu, plus the exploits of G. Jwala in doubles, grabbed most of the attention.

Can this result from Singapore provide a turning point for the Indian men at the world stage?

The answer lies in a reality check of the Indian male players’ performances. Five players, led by 13th-ranked Ajay Jayaram, are in the top-40 bracket in the world. But given the number of quality players in the game, only the top-10 players hold places that command respect of the followers.

Given this background, Indians still have some distance to cover to become part of the world’s elite. Indians have not been consistently good in the elite events. It will still take some time before these men play to their potential, stay injury-free and sharpen their skills, to be able to pose a serious threat to those who form the creamy layer.