International
Nazeer Adoni/ GoBadminton

“When players start performing well, they steal the spotlight” – Zsofia Horvath

By: Ambika Asthana
Date: 11 Sep, 2018
Image Courtesy: Nazeer Adoni/ GoBadminton

Hyderabad Open 2018 was indeed an unforgettable experience that embraced the sportsmen spirit culminating the zeal and zest of 14 countries and more than 200 players who participated at the BWF Hyderabad Open Super Tour 100 recently held at G.M.C Balayogi SATS Indoor Stadium, Gachibowli.


During our stint at the tournament, we tried to understand the basic badminton framework, rule upgradation, tournament details etc. from the makers of global institution: Badminton World Federation (BWF) , Zsofia Horvath, BWF Tournament Series Manager threw light to our questions and surfaced our doubts with effortless explanations. Enjoy the exclusive interview of Zsofia with gobadminton here.

 

Why did BWF chose Hyderabad for the Super Tour 100?


 BWF works in a way where different countries beat in different level of events, India beat in Super Tour 100 earlier and therefore, Badminton Association of India organized it in Hyderabad. I assume it’s BAI who takes full charge of responsibilities and therefore conducted the Super Tour 100 here.

 

What do you think of the Indian badminton positioning in the entire badminton scenario?


India’s positioning is quite strong in terms of the quality of players who are raising the bar and upping the charm of the sport. Women’s singles are indeed the most coveted category with Sindhu and Saina lifting the high hopes of Indian badminton contingent at a global level. Men’s singles performance is equally competitive with Kidambi and Prannoy taking up the stage, I feel India will rise and shine in the coming times.

 

Why don’t we see Non-Asians to perform and represent largely in badminton?


Well, badminton has always largely been Asian dominant. They are agile, flexible, stronger and extremely good on endurance level which is why they are the unbeatable competitors at badminton. However, we do have a few European representatives who are also topping the charts worldwide like Viktor Axelson, Adcocks, etc.

 

Why do the Junior players and Para Badminton players remain under the shadow despite the glorious star players representing in both categories?


High-level badminton generally ropes in the media limelight and people talk about them, this is the case with every sport worldwide. However, BWF tries to promote junior players with several tournaments like Kharkiv International, Ukraine Open, New Zealand Open etc. to encourage them and boost their morale for a better performance. Para Badminton is now a part of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 which shall be the turning point for the star performers and we hope they receive equal visibility.

 

Will India be holding exclusive BWF events in the future?


Yes, certainly. According to the event cycle designed by BWF authorities, India will definitely be organizing and holding prestigious BWF events. Hopefully, higher level events will be conducted only once India upgrades its infrastructure and other basic facilities like quality of Yonex mats, lightning and washrooms.


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