BAI Eyes Coaching Revamp to Preserve Indian Badminton’s Heritage and Build Future Talent

In a significant move to bolster India’s badminton ecosystem, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) is taking proactive steps to blend international expertise with traditional Indian flair. With an aim to strengthen coaching at the grassroots level and preserve the distinct Indian playing style, BAI has shortlisted 10-11 former players from a pool of 49 applicants for key coaching roles.

BAI General Secretary Sanjay Mishra highlighted the dual objectives of this initiative—nurturing young talent while ensuring that the unique nuances of Indian badminton are not lost to the increasingly physical styles influenced by foreign coaching.

“We invited applications from the top players who want to come into coaching with BAI and SAI. We got 49 applications out of which we have shortlisted 10-11. The list has gone to SAI for approval,” Mishra revealed. 

He stressed the need to maintain the traditional Indian techniques, citing legends like Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand who won with skill, deception, and finesse. “The Indian style is somewhat fading,” he added, pointing out how current players are adopting more physically demanding approaches.

The selected coaches will begin their journey by training junior players at the National Centres of Excellence (NCoEs) in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Guwahati. “These coaches will be rotated in the centres. We want these coaches to work with junior players at the NCoE before moving to elite coaching,” Mishra explained.

BAI’s revamped training approach also includes consistent and structured development programs for juniors. “Earlier, we would just hold 15-day camps before tournaments. But now, with the NCoE, they have a consistent space to train together,” Mishra noted. He emphasized the long-term goal of developing a “chain of talent,” similar to systems seen in China, ensuring continuity at the elite level.

The three NCoEs will each host a foreign coach—Tan Kim Her (Malaysia) in Hyderabad, Irwansyah Adi Pratama (Indonesia) in Bengaluru, and Park Tae-Sang (South Korea) in Guwahati—offering a rich mix of global and Indian coaching philosophies.

Additionally, players will now undergo fitness tests three times a year, aligning with new guidelines from the Sports Authority of India (SAI). “SAI has been focussing on players being fit or ready to play. They have set some parameters for this,” said Mishra.

India is also preparing to host the senior World Championships next year, with a BWF team set to inspect the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi this June, marking another significant milestone for Indian badminton.