Sindhu effect, city gets league for local clubs

Four such badminton clubs in the city have come together to hold the Neighbourhood Badminton Premier League (NBPL), providing a platform for players belonging to 40 different badminton clubs to fight it out for the title.

Organised by MAGROS Badminton Club (Keelkattalai), DATB Badminton Club (Thiruninravur), BBR Badminton Club (Chrompet) and VKV Badminton Club (West Tambaram), the first tournament saw the participation of 48 teams from across the city. “We wanted to gauge the response, but with PV Sindhu winning the silver medal at Rio Olympics, there has been a lot of inquiry for classes. This has inspired us to conduct more such tournaments every quarter,” says Parthib Kumar, the owner of MAGROS Badminton Club.

According to him the format is such that every team will consist of three players, two beginners and one veteran (aged 35 or above). The freshers will be mentored by the senior. 

“To play the sport at an international level, one has to take training from an early stage and be dedicated to the sport and the NBPL is open to players from across age groups,” says V Mahesh Kumar of where2play that helped players register for the tournament. 

These local tournaments also help participants deal with pressure. Aditya Elango, a former world number 80 says, “When a player is at the court, there are other factors that affect the match too. It’s the pressure and changing tactics depending on the opponent’s game, concentrating while the crowd cheers. It is helpful when it is learned at an early stage. Also, it will also teach youngsters handle competition.”