Paralympic star Nitesh Kumar cites BAI apathy, wants badminton to be placed under PCI

NEW DELHI: Nitesh Kumar, the Paralympic gold medalist, has expressed his discontent with the Badminton Association of India (BAI) due to insufficient acknowledgement and bureaucratic hurdles. The 29-year-old champion from Haryana has advocated for the transfer of para badminton to the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) to ensure the sport's growth and development.
Nitesh, who made history by clinching the gold medal in the SL3 class at the Paris Paralympics, emphasized the importance of treating para badminton players equally to their able-bodied peers. He believes that the move to PCI would be beneficial for the sport and its athletes.
"We have won 21 medals at the Asian Para Games, around 14-15 medals at the World Championships, and 5 medals at the Paralympics, but we don't receive basic appreciation from BAI," Nitesh told PTI.
"This isn't a new issue; it's a recurring problem. Their attention remains solely on able-bodied athletes, with minimal effort to promote para badminton."
Nitesh voiced his discontent through social media following BAI's tweet congratulating the para badminton players on their achievements in Paris.

"Despite the occasional social media appreciation from @BAI_Media, we, the athletes, are highly dissatisfied with BAI's lack of interest in para badminton.
"We sincerely request @Media_SAI and BAI to hand over para badminton to PCI, which has a better track record of supporting para sports," he wrote.
Nitesh, a graduate of IIT Mandi, highlighted numerous administrative problems faced by para-badminton players.
"There are significant administrative delays and inefficiencies. Often, only 1 or 2 people manage everything, and it's kind of too much for them, they sometimes miss things.
"Few players, their entries were missed for the international tournaments at times, saying that their entry went to spam folder. We get things very late. There were a lot of times we are kept waiting at the airport. We don't have transport from the local organizer because the payments were not done on time," he cited various logistical issues that they face from time to time.
"The hotel rooms were not booked on time. We get flights at the last moment. These issues were particularly stressful during the qualification period, but now that we have some free time, we hope to address them."
Nitesh, a survivor of a train accident in Visakhapatnam in 2009 that resulted in the loss of his left leg, stressed the significance of addressing these concerns to guarantee improved assistance for athletes going forward.
"We raised our concerns with the sports minister recently, and he assured us that he will look into the matter."
Currently, athletics, shooting, and powerlifting are overseen by the PCI, while other para sports like badminton, archery, and table tennis are managed by their respective national able-bodied federations, such as BAI, AAI, and TTFI.
"First and foremost, we need a proper administration team. Currently, all responsibilities often fall on one person, which at times gets overwhelming. With a dedicated team, tasks can be distributed effectively and managed more efficiently," Kumar continued.
"Additionally, establishing a clear communication channel is crucial. We need to know exactly whom to approach with concerns.
"Furthermore, the selection procedures are typically handled by a small group, without sufficient input from the players themselves. Involving experienced players in the process could provide valuable perspectives and improve decision-making."