Former Commonwealth Badminton Champion Parupali Kashyap raises questions for the selection committee after his omission from the ongoing National camp in Hyderabad.
He said that giving chance to only eight players who are hopeful to play in the upcoming Olympics which will take place next year in Tokyo 2021 is “illogical”.
He stressed that he still have a chance to qualify for the Olympics but he will not be able to make it to the Squad as he is not allowed to train at the camp.
“I have a couple of questions regarding the camp. I find it illogical to allow only 8 people to train. Also, how are these 8, Olympic hopefuls because I think only 3 have almost confirmed their slot and rest have an outside chance including Srikanth and the women’s doubles pair,” Kashyap told PTI.
“I am ranked 23rd in the world ranking after Sai (B Sai Praneeth) and (Kidambi) Srikanth, then why haven’t I been considered,” he asked.
As Sports Authority of India took permission from Telegana government to start the training for the possible Olympic medalist in SAI-Pullela Gopichand academy.
Kashyap said that he has raised all those questions to SAI but he is not happy with response he got from the respective board.
“Gopi bhaiya (Pullela Gopichand) advised me to speak to SAI as they made the list. So I spoke to SAI DG and asked him what is the logic behind it? Why am I not in the camp? Who decided that we don’t have a chance to qualify when 7-8 tournaments are still left,” he said.
“A day later, a SAI assistant director called me and said this is a directive which has come from higher officials and they have spoken to BAI and SAI, who believe only these people have a chance to qualify which I found to be strange,” he added.
“I was told that only 8 people will train till the Tokyo Games to keep the Olympic hopefuls safe. Now no one is staying at the centre, all are using gyms at different centres, they are meeting people outside, so I don’t understand their explanation of keeping them safe.”
He also raised question that the academy has enough courts to accommodate more players so that other players can also practice which will give them equal chance to furnish their skills to great extent.
“Everywhere else all are training together, in Bangalore, Lakshya (Sen), who also has an outside chance like me, is training with the rest. If I can’t train at the camp, how will I pursue Olympic qualification?”He concluded.
World champion P V Sindhu, along with B Sai Praneeth, former world no.1 Kidambi Srikanth and women’s doubles player N Sikki Reddy have resumed training under strict safety protocols at the Gopichand Academy, ending a four-month-long coronavirus-forced hiatus.
Indian badminton players have to next take part in the upcoming Thomas and Uber Cup which is slated to start from October 3 to 11 in Denmark.
