Much like the qualified success of the Hockey India League, the IBL too has the ingredients for popularising both itself and the sport. And while flashy leagues that boast of a somewhat arbitrary sum of million(s) of dollars are not the way to go if we are hoping for a sustainable cultural and societal participatory impact, the IBL should nevertheless be able to further the cause of the sport in India. The downside, of course, is that by taking as its chief mentor the IPL and its vague governance measures, the IBL has imbibed too many unsavoury aspects - such as the auction, the opening ceremony glitz, and the unnecessary reliance on talking up its transient support base/sponsors.
The IBL also faces uncertainty about quality. Critically, the available talent pool is, well, of the wading kind. With China's players quietly declining, and the top-ranked participants showing elements of diva-ish behaviour to sustain the interest of an easily distracted society, the league must find ways to improve the level of competition, and the live attendance experience. That said, the social cost-benefit analysis of a "league" such as this would in all likelihood be positive, given the relatively manageable costs of player payrolls and staging expenses, when compared with the possibility of succeeding in the long term. Badminton is a club sport for families, a school sport at recess, and, increasingly, a professional sport for athletes. Its participation targets will expand once Indians across the board have access and exposure to infrastructure facilities and human capital assets, such as coaches and fitness instructors.
All said and done, there really could be a boost for badminton, and it may just become a central sport for India - symbolic because of its simplicity, the low cost of its infrastructure, the Asian dominance, and the existence of past and present superstars. Ironic yet fitting, what might also help the societal dissemination of popularity of the sport in India is the relatively low band of income/revenue of its popular stars compared to that of other individual sports such as tennis or golf. What bodes well for Indians' success in the sport is that when compared to traditionally popular individual sports in Europe and North America, the limited income potential will be a deterring factor for young athletes from there, keeping badminton obscure and allowing the somewhat limited competition levels to spur success for India's ambitious youth.
Further, like hockey and cricket, it's a sport in which Indians have the genetic skills to be successful. In badminton, good hand-eye coordination, stamina, endurance, speed and controlled strength are required to succeed, and these are skill sets that Indians usually possess and can enhance with discipline and good coaching. This is why Indians have excelled in this sport, and it could have a resounding societal impact - more than most other sports that end up as cultural fads with an increasingly short "sell-by" date.
Badminton is a rare sport in our cricket-fixated history where world champions have been produced. For once, we have history, we have success, we have stars, and we have opportunities to excel consistently at the highest levels. And, since many of India's sporting scions court disaster both on and off the playing field with many racquets in play, let's hope that on this particular court India's best keep shuttling ahead of the competition and hold on to Indian society's positive attention. It would truly be a welcome respite.
The writer is at J Sagar Associates.
These views are his own.
Every week, Eye Culture features writers with an entertaining critical take on art, music, dance, film and sport