New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has unveiled the annual plan of Rs 9.75 crore to identify, nurture and develop talent across the country. It also sets aside Rs 2.22 crore to boost player motivation for medal-winning performances at marquee international events, making it a strategic investment of over Rs 10 crore.

The current investment will further strengthen grassroots engagement, support state associations, incentivise former players to take up coaching roles, and reward international medal-winning performances – all while doubling domestic tournament prize money.

Based on the decisions taken at the AGM, BAI will invest over Rs 9.75 crore each year in the development of grassroots initiatives and helping state associations conduct domestic tournaments. The total prize pool and grant allocation for the national tournament stands at Rs 3.8 crore, as per the BAI release.

It also made financial provisions for paying Rs 1 lakh per month to Olympians and Rs 50,000 per month to coaches who have represented the official Indian team in international events and are currently coaching at National Camps held across three locations.

As the only national sports federation to have implemented such a comprehensive structural investment, BAI has already laid a strong foundation with initiatives like the establishment of the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati.

“But given the size of our country, one NCE was never going to be enough and hence we are providing grants to state associations to come up with development across the state and the current increase in grant will help them enhance their existing programs,” said BAI president after the AGM.

Beginning this year, the annual grant to state associations has been increased from Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh while the prize money for national ranking tournaments for all age groups has also been doubled.

BAI will also provide additional grants of Rs 1.5 lakh to U-13 events and Rs 2 lakh each for organisers of Senior and U-19 ranking tournaments and Rs 3 lakh to organisers of Under-15 and Under-17 All India ranking events.

The total investment in all the National Championships has also been increased by over 50 per cent, thereby incentivising state associations to host more national-level events.

Speaking about the increase in prize money for national ranking tournaments, Sarma said looking after the needs of up-and-coming players, motivating them and providing them better financial incentives was critical for the development of the sport and chart out a pathway through which the future course.

Hereafter, the senior national ranking tournaments will have a prize purse of Rs 10 lakh, U-19 national ranking (Rs 8 lakh), U-15 and U-17 national ranking (Rs 12 lakh) and U-13 national ranking events will have a prize pool of Rs 6 lakh.

The total grant and prize money for all the National Championships has also increased from Rs 2.13 crore to Rs 3.2 crore.

The apex body also decided to make a special provision of substantial cash rewards for players who are making their mark on the international stage. A player/pair winning the BWF World Tour Super 1000 title will get a cash reward of Rs 10,00,000, while a world championships gold medallist will be awarded a sum of Rs 20,00,000 for their hard work and excellence.

Even juniors will have a chance of winning handsome rewards if they win medals at the world and Asian championships, with gold winners allocated the highest prize purse of Rs 15,00,000 and Rs 10,00,000, respectively.

Even a gold medal in senior team events will fetch a cash reward of Rs 50 lakh, while the junior teams will get a reward of Rs 30 lakh.

–IANS

bc/