SAI withholds funds for shuttlers before European swing, Sindhu, Sen claim Hylo Open titles
· Sports · Indian Express
Sports Authority of India withdrew funding for India's European badminton contingent just days before the Arctic Open began in Vantaa, Finland on October 6, forcing players to self-finance. PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen won singles titles at the Hylo Open in Saarbrucken, Germany on Sunday, despite the funding cutoff. Sources indicate the funding decision was linked to India's below-par performance at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where shuttlers returned without an individual medal for the first time since 2014. A senior SAI official denied the cut was performance-linked, citing Badminton Association of India's delayed proposal submission as the reason.
Why it matters
Indian shuttlers were forced to self-fund their European campaign after SAI withdrew support mid-season, directly impacting athletes' preparation and participation in consecutive tournaments.
Read the original report — Indian Express
Join us on Telegram
Breaking news the moment it lands. At 10,000 members we ship the Android app.