Your careers will end: Indian badminton players threatened at World University Games

India Today

22-07-2025

Several Indian badminton players at the World University Games were threatened by team management after raising concerns about severe mismanagement behind the scenes. Multiple sources confirmed to India Today that the players were warned to remain silent or face consequences once they returned to India.Controversy erupted on Monday, July 21, just hours after India secured its first-ever medal in the mixed team event at the Games, being hosted in Germany. Under the leadership of World No. 47 Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, the team comprising Devika Sihag, Saneeth Dayanand, Tasnim Mir, Varshini Viswanath Sri, and Vaishnavi Khadkekar clinched the bronze medal.advertisementWhat should have been a historic moment quickly soured when one of the players, Alisha Khan, publicly alleged gross mismanagement by Indian officials. She claimed that only 6 out of 12 squad members were allowed to compete in the event because team managers BV Rao and Rashmi Ramachandra failed to submit the full list of players during the official managers' meeting with tournament authorities.
Baljeet Singh, head of the Indian delegation, attempted to explain the incident in an interview with The Tribune, stating that coaches had selected the 'strongest' players in pursuit of a medal. However, players India Today spoke with strongly refuted this, accusing Singh and the managers of lying and incompetence.'We've been told that our careers will end once we return to India. That our BAI-IDs (Badminton Association of India IDs) will be revoked and we'll be barred from future competitions,' one player said under the condition of anonymity.'All the players, those who played and those who didn't, are united. We've all faced mismanagement throughout this tournament,' said another.GROSS MISMANAGEMENT BEHIND THE SCENESIndia Today has learnt that the Indian team had no practice court reserved before the tournament began because the managers allegedly forgot to book one. Players also had no shuttles for training, as no one from the Indian camp approached FISU (the University Games authority) to request them.Forced to improvise, players initially used personal shuttles and later had to borrow used ones from other teams just to prepare for matches.Of the 12 players selected to represent India, six — Rohan Kumar, Darshan Pujari, Aditi Bhatt, Abhinash Mohanty, Viraj Kuvale, and Alisha Khan — never got a chance to compete. Apparently the officials had forgotten their names during team registration.Players said they only learnt of their omission when the team list for the first round was announced. Upon enquiry, they were reportedly told their names weren't included due to an oversight.When players approached FISU officials to correct the error, they were told it was too late and that multiple reminders had been given to finalise the squad.'We only found out we weren't playing on the day of the first match. When we asked, the managers casually said they had forgotten to include our names,' a player said.advertisementIn a strongly worded Instagram post, Alisha Khan expressed the emotional and professional impact of the blunder.'The six who got to play gave their best and won bronze. But only they will now receive podium honours, merit certificates, government jobs, cash awards, and recognition. The rest of us return empty-handed, not due to lack of effort, but because of a careless blunder by the officials,' she wrote.INJURIES MOUNT IN INDIAN CAMPWith only six players available throughout the mixed team event, physical strain has taken its toll. India Today can confirm that team leader Sathish Karunakaran has suffered a swollen ankle and is unlikely to participate in the upcoming individual events.Players also revealed that the team had no physiotherapist present, forcing them to manage injuries on their own. Several members of the mixed team squad are now nursing injuries, raising concerns about India's chances in the individual competitions.The controversy at the World University Games not only exposed alarming lapses in team management but also raised serious questions about athlete welfare and accountability within Indian sports administration. As young players face threats to their careers for speaking out, the episode underscores the urgent need for systemic reform and independent oversight to ensure that such negligence and intimidation are not repeated.- EndsTrending Reel