Millennium Post

A GOOD START

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This is in reference to the editorial, “A new beginning”. India’s men’s badminton team should be congratula­ted for having lifted the coveted Thomas Cup on Saturday. In fact, India scripted history with a dominant 3-0 victory over 14-time winners Indonesia, becoming only the sixth nation to win the title in the seven-decade history of the tournament. Notably Indian men had previously reached the Thomas Cup semifinals in 1952,1955 & 1979. However, of all the sporting triumphs, and there have been a few of late, India’s Thomas Cup victory should rank among the finest. For one, Indian men were seen stepping out of the shadow of the women shuttlers. Second, they upset the powerful Malaysia and Denmark en route to the summit clash. And the title comes on the back of years of relentless hard work and an outcome of a system that has constantly churned out players who, on their day, could upset the best in the world. That even players like B Sai Praneeth, a 2019 World Championsh­ip medalist, could not even make the team, coupled with the fact that India has seven players in the world’s top 50, points to the depth in men’s badminton right now. Now, the challenge going ahead is to build on this triumph and not let the momentum slip. Badminton is one of the few mass sports that’s played almost in every corner of India. So, even though Hyderabad and Bangalore will continue to remain the hubs, it’s important to establish academies that can spot and harness players from other regions in the country. Either way, this title isn’t a culminatio­n of a journey. It should be the beginning of a new chapter.

— KHOKAN DAS, KOLKATA via email

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