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Journalism of Courage
In the end, it was all probably too much for one man to handle. Even if the man goes by the name of Prakash Padukone, former All-England badminton champion and lone rebel against the 8216;8216;unprofessional8217;8217; Badminton Association of India BAI.
Speaking to The Sunday Express, Padukone virtually concedes defeat in his efforts to reform the game, admitting 8216;8216;I tried my best, the burden of expectations are becoming a bit much. I think I need a break8217;8217;.
Padukone8217;s revolt in 1997 was a simple case of a top badminton player refusing to accept the way the sport is run in the country. And, though the initial success prompted the BAI to seek a rapprochement, he appears drained by the strain. 8216;8216;I cannot do it alone. I think the state associations should take up more responsibility.8217;8217; His Prakash Padukone Badminton Association PPBA is also not working as well as the initial signs promised. 8216;8216;The players are probably feeling stagnant,8217;8217; Padukone suggests. 8216;8216;Besides, a lot of good centres of the Sports Authority of India have come up in places like Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad. It8217;s fair if the players want to try all the options and experiment.8217;8217; There is of course no chance of a return to BAI either, of which he was president at the time of the rebellion. He thinks so too, saying, 8216;8216;I certainyl don8217;t fancy myself going back8217;8217;, but what exactly he could do now is not clear.
And he certainly doesn8217;t know for sure either. As for pushing for reforms within the BAI, Padukone8217;s is a similar, 8216;8216;I don8217;t want to do that8217;8217; answer.
