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Great start to IBL
Pune Piston’s shuttler Saurabh Varma pulled off his experience to draw equal to make the score 2-all at the end of second singles in the first tie of the inaugural Indian Badminton League (IBL) against Delhi Smashers here Wednesday. Earlier, Malaysia's World No 2 Boon Hoeng Tan and Kien Keat Koo gave the Krrish Delhi Smashers a 2-1 lead in the first tie of the inaugural Indian Badminton League (IBL) here Wednesday.
Pune Piston’s shuttler Saurabh Varma pulled off his experience to draw equal to make the score 2-all at the end of second singles in the first tie of the inaugural Indian Badminton League (IBL) against Delhi Smashers here Wednesday. Earlier, Malaysia's World No 2 Boon Hoeng Tan and Kien Keat Koo gave the Krrish Delhi Smashers a 2-1 lead in the first tie of the inaugural Indian Badminton League (IBL) here Wednesday.
The Malaysians beat Pune Pistons' KT Rupesh Kumar and Sanave Thomas 21-13, 21-16 in men's doubles at the Siri Fort Sports Complex. Earlier, Delhi's B Sai Praneeth won against Pune's Tien Minh Nguyen in the first men's singles while Pune's Juliane Schenk drubbed Delhi's Jindapon Nichaon in women's singles competition.
Jwala, Ashwini cry foul
Meanwhile, Top Indian shuttlers Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa Wednesday said the doubles event is not being taken seriously by the administrators of the sport and the focus is on singles. India’s singles shuttlers are doing brilliantly on the international circuit with eight of them figuring among the men’s top-50 while Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu are forces to reckon with in women’s singles. However, the standard of doubles has really gone down with no Indian in the top-25 of either men’s, women’s or mixed category.
“Ashwini and I were performing well against the top players in the world. But since then, there has been no consistency. Doubles is not taken seriously and the attitude needs to change from the administration and the system. They need to understand that doubles is also an integral part of the sport and not just singles and it needs to be taken seriously by everyone,” said Jwala, who is icon player of the Krrish Delhi Smashers in the Indian Badminton League (IBL).
“Despite winning the Commonwealth Games gold (2010) and the World Championship bronze (2011), when no one expected anything from us, we hardly got any sponsorship and had to struggle for it. It becomes quite difficult then,” added Jwala.
Women’s doubles was also given the snub at the IBL where another men’s singles event replaced the former, drawing criticism from several doubles shuttlers.The 23-year-old Ashwini also reiterated Jwala’s sentiments.
Saina-Sindhu showdown today
New Delhi (IANS): Badminton fans are set to witness an Independence Day clash between India's two top women's singles shuttlers Saina Nehwal and P.V. Sindhu in the inaugural Indian Badminton League (IBL) at the Siri Fort Sports Complex here Thursday.
It will be the first time the two players will be facing each other in a competitive match.
While Saina will be playing for her home team Hyderabad Hotshots, Sindhu will be representing Awadhe Warriors on the last day of the Delhi-leg of the $1 million tournament.
