BAI writes to sports minister on lifting of import ban on shuttlecocks

BAI reached out to the sports minister after Yonex Sunrise Sports (India) - the federation’s official supplier of shuttlecocks - apprised them of the grim situation.

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has written a letter to sports minister Kiren Rijiju regarding the ban on import of shuttlecocks, saying the sport will come to a standstill if the issue is not resolved.

Yonex shuttlecocks are used for tournaments and coaching camps all across the country. (BWF Image)

BAI reached out to the sports minister after Yonex Sunrise Sports (India) - the federation’s official supplier of shuttlecocks - apprised them of the grim situation citing the new government policy put out by the Agriculture ministry prohibiting import of feather products and shuttles from China. It is learnt Yonex Sunrise Sports has told BAI that it is unable to procure feather shuttles and the situation is beyond their control.

“Without the shuttlecocks Badminton activities will come in a standstill in the country. In view of the above serious situation, we would request you to kindly take up the matter with the Agriculture Ministry so that the ban on import of feather products and shuttles are removed,” BAI general secretary Ajay Kumar Singhania wrote in his letter to Rijiju on Monday.

Yonex shuttlecocks are used for tournaments and coaching camps all across the country. With the players resuming their training after the lockdown, badminton academies, including the SAI-Pullela Gopichand academy in Hyderabad and Prakash Padukone academy in Bengaluru, where India’s top players are currently training is likely to face a shortage of shuttlecocks if the ban is not lifted. The players are gearing up for the European leg starting in October that is supposed to kickstart international badminton.

“The stocks that we have currently will last this month. From next month we will face problems if the issue is not resolved,” said a coach.