Dark side of the otherwise shining Indian badminton

Vinayak Padmadeo

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 14

India has become a force in the world of badminton, with Olympics medallists PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, along with Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy, consistently performing well at international meets. In fact, 2017 was the first time ever when two Indians, Sindhu and Saina, finished on the podium at the World Championships.

But scrape the surface and one gets a different picture. Rape allegations, falling out between close associates, arrest of former administrators, forgery allegations and mismanagement – all this points to an ugly side of Indian badminton.

‘Forged signature’

A sworn affidavit by former Badminton Association of India (BAI) secretary general Vijai Sinha is giving headaches to the new regime headed by Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Sinha, in his affidavit, said that his signature was forged on the minutes of the Indian Badminton League’s (IBL) governing council meeting held on September 20, 2014. The meeting formed the basis of BAI terminating a contract with Sporty Solutionz Pvt Ltd (SSPL), who were BAI's partners and rights holders for IBL.

The minutes say that SSPL was informed to deposit Rs 50 crore within the period of 15 days, failing which the agreement between the two parties will be terminated. The agreement was later terminated by a notice sent to SSPL through BAI’s lawyer Sunil Kumar Mittal in April 2015.

Sinha’s affidavit came after he and former BAI chief Akhilesh Das Gupta had a big falling out. A complaint was then registered against Sinha and his son Nishant about the workings in Lucknow’s Babu Banarsi Das Uttar Pradesh Badminton Academy. It was followed by a three-member internal inquiry into the alleged misuse and misappropriation of funds of the Uttar Pradesh Badminton Association (UPBA) and another inquiry under UPS Kushwaha, a retired district judge. An FIR was filed in Lucknow on February 21, 2017, against Sinha and Nishant for various charges, including rape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation, breach of trust. The FIR was based on complaints of four girls of the Babu Banarsi Das Uttar Pradesh Badminton Academy. Both Sinha and Nishant are currently lodged in jail.

Meanwhile, SSPL approached the Delhi High Court against the termination order and the matter went under arbitration. After many sittings, the sole arbitrator — former Chief Justice of India VN Khare — awarded a compensation of Rs 2.5 crore in favour of SSPL and said, “…it is held that the 2013 agreement is no longer subsisting between the parties.”

Both SSPL and BAI challenged the order. Along with a bigger compensation, SSPL is also seeking a stay on the Premier Badminton League Season 3, which starts from December 26.

Bleeding league

After filing a petition challenging the compensation, BAI withdrew its petition on November 16, 2017, and agreed to release the amount of Rs 2.5 crore within three months. BAI secretary general Anup Narang said he did not wish to comment as the matter was sub judice.

But these litigations, one coming up in the court in January next year, have put the rights owners of PBL —  Sportz & Live Entertainment Pvt Ltd — on a sticky wicket.

As per industry estimates, Sportz & Live Entertainment Pvt Ltd incurred a loss of over Rs 8 crore in the last season. In Season 3, Sportz & Live Entertainment Pvt Ltd is afraid of posting a loss in the region of Rs 10-12 crore.

Meanwhile, BAI approached Sportz & Live to try and sort out the matter. Sportz & Live officials made contact with SSPL chief Ashish Chadha to try for an out-of-court settlement in the matter, but nothing has come of it yet.

However, Sportz & Live was willing to give SSPL “rights to hold Asian Badminton Club League, subject to conditions that (a) it is not held 90 days prior and 90 days later of the PBL; (b) it does not use any PBL trademarks; (c) it is held in venues in and outside India.”

But it needed an NOC from PBL team owners, PBL broadcaster and Sportz & Live boards’ approval.

‘BAI has to take lead’

Sportz & Live’s top official Atul Pande said that BAI had to take the lead in resolving the issue. “Sportz & Live was willing to indulge in discussions in the spirit of the partnership with BAI. There is no need for us to be a part of this discussion as we are not party to the discussion that arose from a dispute between BAI and Sporty Solutionz. But we are willing to be a part of this as running the league is more important,” he said. The Delhi High Court’s adjournment of SSPL’s petition that sought a stay on PBL’s Season 3 on December 11 has given BAI and Sportz & Live temporary relief. Though the league will be held without any threat, this is not the end of the matter.