Saina seated comfortably on the throne

Happy smiles could be seen all around after the conclusion of Season 1 of the Indian Badminton League. After a long merry-go-round of ‘will happen - might not happen – likely to happen later’, the league finally took off and the quality of the games lived up to its billing. Sold-out stadiums and presence of celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sanjay Manjrekar among the audience only added to its value and spectator interest in this 19-day spectacle.

While the presence of top ranked International players in singles and doubles provided the meat that this inaugural season needed for a successful kick-off, the clash of the tournament was seen to be the match between the top two Women’s players of the host country – Saina Nehwal from Hyderabad Hotshots and P.V Sindhu from Awadhe Warriors. The tournament organisers had planned for the inaugural day to carry this contest but the players and their teams helped to set the climax too with a similar duel.

After the two matches that were played against each other, the senior pro settled much debate on who is hotter on court at the moment. If Sindhu entertained glimpses of hope after the battle started, it ended in the first few minutes of the first game of the first match. Saina seemed to be measuring up her opponent initially while Sindhu attacked the net and delivered smashes beyond the more experienced player’s reach.

Pitched next to Sindhu and some of the South Asian players, Saina could come across a few pounds heavier for her frame but she would not allow it to come in the way of her nimble-footedness, powerful smashes, reach and coverage of the court. 

It did not take long for her to get into the groove and soon she was all over the court and Sindhu. Her body smashes on her opponent seemed well rehearsed in the mind especially in the Finals.  

Much to a badminton fan’s delight, the backline was used as much as the net and the centre of the court by both players to not allow the match to slip into a one-dimensional contest as some of the other matches were.

While Sindhu showed her class and her Icon status in the league by beating the recently retired and two-time All-England Champion, Tine Baun twice and the No. 3 ranked Juliane Schenk, it was against Saina Nehwal and in front of the split crowd support that she found it difficult to regroup herself quickly.  Crowd support can work either ways – provide energy or pile on pressure. Sindhu probably let the pressure overwhelm her as could be seen in her body language.

She has much catch up to do to further her BWF rankings but this teenager has a lot of positives to take back from the first Indian Badminton league.

Saina Nehwal could heave a sigh of relief in the meantime, her claim to the throne in Indian Badminton does not seem to be under any immediate threat.