Punished for insubordination
Players who dare to step out of line and take on the federations are snubbed and given the cold shoulder. The system is too powerful and sportspersons who take them on risk their career
Early June this year, badminton player H.S. Prannoy lashed out at the Badminton Association of India (BAI) against the “unfairness” of the nomination process for the Arjuna Award, criticising that BAI has left out his name from the recommendation to the Sports Ministry for a second straight year. In response, however, BAI sent a show-cause notice to Prannoy, citing ‘disciplinary reasons’ for the player’s snub.
Now, just three days ago, Prannoy went on to tender an unconditional apology to the association, which the BAI President Himanta Biswa Sarma, we hear, accepted. However, it is not certain if the BAI will still proceed with taking action against the player.
However, Prannoy appears to have fallen into BAI’s bad books a lot earlier than his expressed displeasure over being left out from the Arjuna Award recommendations. For the uninitiated, earlier in February this year, Prannoy and his partner Kidambi Srikanth for the Badminton Asia Team Championship in Manila, Philippines, had abruptly left the championship despite their chances at winning the tournament gold.
There have been other players, too, across various sports, who have previously been vocal about the association coldshouldering them. Some of these include Saina Nehwal, Ambati Rayudu and Nikhat Zareen
The two decided to leave the tournament to head to Barcelona for bettering their chances at the Olympics. Their leaving, however, squashed India’s chances at winning the gold, instead having to settle for a bronze. A few days after the incident in February, however, a regretful Srikanth apologised for his actions. Prannoy did not. Instead he commented openly about the hectic badminton tourney fixtures for the year.
Some believe that BAI’s latest show-cause notice was probably a delayed response to all of Prannoy’s accumulated “slights”.
Although now, Prannoy unconditionally apologised for his actions, his emotional outburst and everything that followed have once again brought to the fore the vulnerable side of Indian players. His action brings to debate the conduct of players and their temperament when the going gets tough. At least as per Ajay Kumar Singhania, Secretary, BAI, there is no room for anything but for players sticking to the code of conduct.
THE SYSTEM IS VERY POWERFUL
Players in every field can be victims of tough calls for reasons of favouritism or otherwise. However, what begs a question here is whether players’ responses against the federations and associations when they take them on are harming their own chances. There have been other players, too, across various sports, who have previously been vocal about the association cold-shouldering them. Some of these include Saina Nehwal, Ambati Rayudu and Nikhat Zareen.
Who can forget former India cricketer and batsman Ambati Rayudu’s cryptic tweet (“ordered 3D glasses”) apparently in response to the then selection committee chairman who dropped Rayudu for the 2018 world cup and picked Vijay Shankar instead, because the latter brought “a threedimensional aspect to the game”? (The tweet is rumoured to have cost Rayudu his career in cricket.)
Former captain Mohammed Azharuddin and cricketer Sreesanth also have claimed they were wrongly framed in disgrace. Sreesanth fought against the system only to end up receiving sanctions of seven years while struggling to stage a comeback. Azharuddin, on the other hand employed a ‘circumspect approach’, never saying anything out of line during his sanctions.
The BCCI eventually made him the president of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), an action that many believe was more than just a coincidence.
Coming back to the topic of badminton, Jwala Gutta was rumoured to be completely sidelined after she launched a scathing attack on Coach Pullela Gopichand for promoting players of his own academy players and ignoring others such as her.
Prannoy isn’t the first player to get into trouble for his outbursts. According to sports analyst and historian Sunil Yash Kalra, the issue of lashing out at the federation or board has been on for ages. Citing the example of the legendary cricketer Don Bradman, Sunil recounts how Don always had issues with the Australian cricket board. And while social media offers a great platform to express today, it is probably imperative that players understand the consequences.
“Players need to understand that social media is like a beast and a double-edge sword. They should remember never to react in haste because such actions can cause repentance,” explains Sunil. “It is the responsibility of the respective federation and boards to implement a strong code of conduct and to educate players. While most federations conduct webinars, they still do not discuss how dangerous players’ outbursts on the social media could be.”
However, leading sport psychologist, Mugdha Dhamankar Bavare, who’s trained athletes preparing for Olympics, believes that players’ frustration coupled with several other issues surrounding the player forces them to vent out their anger publicly. “Despite the efforts they put in over the years in training for the game they love, if they don’t see themselves right up there for the kind of potential they have, it naturally ignites a sense of hopelessness and resultant anger in some of them,” explains Mugdha.
“There is no room for anything but for players sticking to the code of conduct. No matter what, player discipline is of utmost importance. They must maintain decorum as well as their behaviour. And it’s imperative that they set the right example.” — Ajay Kumar Singhania,
Secretary, BAI “Players need to understand that social media is like a beast and a doubleedge sword. They should remember never to react in haste because such actions can cause repentance. It is the responsibility of the respective federation and boards to implement a strong code of conduct among players and to educate them.” — Sunil Yash Kalra,
sports analyst and historian