Achyutha

Mr. Kannan, with all due respect, I don’t think your tweet fully captures the reality of professional badminton. A first-round exit at Wimbledon earns £80,000. Winning the China Open, one of badminton’s richest tournaments, earns $140,000. Lose in the first round? Just $2,000. Yet our expenses are largely similar. Travel, coaches, physios, trainers and support teams. I’ve had long conversations with Rohan Bopanna about this very disparity. I agree that established athletes should strive to be financially independent. I’ve been fortunate to have wonderful sponsors, but not everyone has that privilege. That’s also why organisations like @OGQ_India are so important. More importantly, if you read Mihir’s article in full, you’ll see that younger players had to compete without coaches, while several withdrew from tournaments. I can find ways to fund my tour. But what about the 18-year-old chasing her dreams, hoping to become the next Sindhu or Lakshya? And I must acknowledge the tremendous support the Government of India and @Media_SAI have extended to athletes like us over the years. Their contribution to Indian sport cannot be understated. Accountability is absolutely necessary. But supporting athletes isn’t bleeding the system. It’s investing in India’s sporting future. And we shouldn’t lose sight of that.