New Delhi: While the Indian Premier League continues to dominate public attention this May, India’s men’s badminton team quietly secured a historic bronze medal at the Thomas Cup in Denmark. Despite following their memorable 2022 gold medal with another podium finish at one of badminton’s most prestigious tournaments, the achievement has received little public recognition.
In an exclusive interview, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy spoke candidly about the lack of visibility and appreciation for elite Indian athletes outside cricket. The Khel Ratna awardee admitted feeling deeply disappointed by the silence surrounding the team’s success.
Unrecognised at the Airport
Recalling the team’s return from Horsens, Denmark, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy described the experience as emotionally difficult. Despite wearing specially customised T-shirts featuring the Indian flag and “Thomas Cup” written on them, the players went unnoticed by thousands of people present at the airport.
“At the airport, there were almost 5,000-10,000 people, and nobody recognised us. That really felt bad. Just say hi to us – that’s it. We don’t need anything big in life,” Satwik said.
He further revealed that the team had personally printed the T-shirts to create a sense of unity and visibility. According to him, the idea came from fellow badminton player H. S. Prannoy.
“We had T-shirts with the Indian flag and ‘Thomas Cup’ written on them. We actually printed those T-shirts ourselves as a team – it was Prannoy’s idea to wear something special so everyone looks the same. The federation gave us official T-shirts, but these were something extra we did,” he added.
Financial Struggles and Influencer Culture
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy also highlighted the sacrifices athletes make to reach the international stage. Reflecting on his early days in badminton, he shared the financial hardships faced by his family.
“When I started playing badminton, my parents did not have enough money to support my sport. They backed me with loans against my mother’s jewellery. All of us struggled to be here,” he said.
The badminton star also spoke about the growing culture of celebrity influencers receiving more recognition than sportspersons. Sharing an experience from Hyderabad, Satwik expressed disappointment over how public attention often favours social media fame over sporting achievements.
“It hurts to see that a social media influencer in my own city, Hyderabad, is preferred at a restaurant, gets a table earlier than I, a Khel Ratna awardee, do,” he remarked.
A Plea for Badminton’s Visibility
Despite his frustration, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy clarified that his comments were not aimed at comparing badminton with cricket. Instead, he stressed the importance of giving Indian badminton more visibility and recognition.
“When we won the Thomas Cup in 2022, no one even knew what it was. Then again, after four years, we are back with a medal, and nothing has changed. So I was very frustrated,” he said.
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“We don’t want anything big – we don’t need prize money or anything huge. We just want people to recognise that there is an Indian badminton team,” he added.
According to Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, better television exposure and public awareness can help transform the future of badminton in India.
Challenges of a Professional Career
The World No. 3 doubles player also opened up about the physical and mental challenges faced by professional badminton athletes. He explained how even a brief break from competition can negatively impact world rankings.
Talking specifically about doubles badminton, Satwik pointed out that doubles players in India did not have an established pathway or role models like singles players did.
“In doubles, it’s even tougher – there was no clear path before us. Singles had legends like Gopichand sir, Prakash, Saina, Sindhu, Srikanth, Kashyap. But for doubles, we had to build everything from scratch,” he said.
The remarks by Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have once again sparked discussion around the recognition and support given to non-cricket athletes in India, despite their achievements on the global stage.
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