New Delhi:<\/b> Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu hits back at criticism she faced over the issue of funding cut that left Indian shuttlers to bear the expenses of their recent European tour, arguing that funding athletes should be viewed as an investment in the country\u2019s sporting future rather than an unnecessary burden on the system.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sindhu\u2019s comments come amid a debate over the Sports Authority of India\u2019s (SAI) alleged decision not to finance the Indian contingent\u2019s four-tournament European campaign, which included competitions in Finland, Denmark, France and Germany. The issue came into focus after Sindhu and Lakshya Sen won the women\u2019s and men\u2019s singles titles, respectively, at the Hylo Open in Saarbrucken, Germany, on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Taking to social media, Sindhu highlighted the financial imbalance between professional badminton and other established sporting circuits, pointing out that players face substantial expenses regardless of their results, while tournament earnings can vary drastically depending on how far they progress.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think your tweet fully captures the reality of professional badminton. A first-round exit at Wimbledon earns 80,000 pounds. Winning the China Open, one of badminton\u2019s richest tournaments, earns USD 140,000. Lose in the first round? Just USD 2,000. Yet our expenses are largely similar. Travel, coaches, physios, trainers and support teams. I\u2019ve had long conversations with Rohan Bopanna about this very disparity. <\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I agree that established athletes should strive to be financially independent. I\u2019ve been fortunate to have wonderful sponsors, but not everyone has that privilege. That\u2019s also why organisations like @OGQ_India are so important,\u201d Sindhu wrote in response to an X post. <\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Indian shuttler also drew attention to the difficulties faced by younger players, particularly those who do not have the financial backing or sponsorship arrangements available to established international names. <\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cMore importantly, younger players had to compete without coaches, while several withdrew from tournaments. I can find ways to fund my tour. But what about the 18-year-old chasing her dreams, hoping to become the next Sindhu or Lakshya?,\u201d Sindhu questioned.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"And I must acknowledge the tremendous support the Government of India and Sports Authority of India (SAI) have extended to athletes like us over the years. Their contribution to Indian sport cannot be understated. Accountability is absolutely necessary. But supporting athletes isn\u2019t bleeding the system. It\u2019s investing in India\u2019s sporting future. And we shouldn\u2019t lose sight of that,\" she expressed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
SAI sources had earlier said that the issue arose because BAI failed to submit its funding proposal within the prescribed deadline. The authority maintained that the revised guidelines require national federations to submit proposals, complete with player names, at least 30 days before a tournament.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"BAI did not submit their proposal within the pre-set time. Federations will also have to start acting responsibly,\" SAI official told IANS.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Earlier, the rules required federations to submit proposals 90 days in advance without names and 60 days in advance with the names. This was primarily because you could plan your trip well in advance. But the federation said it could not do it that early, so we revised the deadline to 30 days.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Even then, we did not receive the proposal. These new guidelines apply to everybody. If we don\u2019t have the proposal with the names 30 days before a tournament, we will not process it,\u201d the official added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Earlier, the rules required federations to submit proposals 90 days in advance without names and 60 days in advance with the names. This was primarily because you could plan your trip well in advance. But the federation said it could not do it that early, so we revised the deadline to 30 days.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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