Badminton in India

The game of badminton has its roots well laid in the Indian soil. A descendent of Battledore and Shuttlecocks, the game was originally christened Poona. In the 1870s, British army officers played this game in the city of Pune in India, which was then called Poona and hence the game was also termed as Poona. Getting fond of the game, the British carried the equipment to their own country as well. Unlike the West, the game of badminton in India may lack the glamour and glitz which is mostly seen in cricket and tennis, it is still being taken up by a healthy number of youngsters across the country.

Despite international success being far and few in between, the domestic badminton circuit is alive and kicking, thanks to the rich pool of talents. However, the early promises shown by these kids do not transform into success at the big stage. Apart from the legendary Prakash Padukone and Gopichand, Indian badminton stables have churned out quality players, such as Abhin Syam Gupta, Nikhil Kanetkar and Sachin Ratti, who have upset fancied opponents on more than one occasion. However, they have not been able to produce the quality and killer instinct that so often separates the champions from the also-rans.