Badminton Domestic Season: The 20-month wait for the domestic badminton season is over as Indian shuttlers are getting back into action with back-to-back senior-ranking Level 3 tournaments next month, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) announced Wednesday.
Badminton Domestic Season: The season is scheduled to kick off in Chennai with the first tournament from December 16 to 22, followed by another Level 3 tournament in Hyderabad from December 24 to 30. Both events carry prize money of Rs 10 lakh each, and are a part of the Badminton Association of India’s (BAI) new domestic format, which was approved in 2019 but due to the pandemic was not introduced earlier. The last date of entry for the Chennai event is November 24, while that of Telangana is December 1.
Badminton Domestic Season: Shuttlers to begin domestic season under new format from December 16
𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐆𝐔𝐘𝐒 😍
See you soon in CHENNAI as 🇮🇳’s finest shuttlers will be in action and compete against each other to become ‘The Best’ 🔥🏸
Checkout the details as we will bring all LIVE updates soon. 🙌#IndiaontheRise#Badminton pic.twitter.com/t7VVtthnBz
— BAI Media (@BAI_Media) November 10, 2021
BAI secretary Ajay K Singhania said that the domestic season begins with all Covid-related protocols in place and that the players must carry RTPCR negative reports. He said in a statement: “Covid disrupted not just sports but life in general, but we are very pleased to announce the resumption of the Indian domestic badminton season. We have some world-class players and all the players getting back on court is great news for the entire badminton fraternity.”
Badminton Domestic Season: Shuttlers to begin domestic season under new format from December 16
The senior ranking tournaments are classified into three levels: Level 3 — BAI Series Badminton Tournament (6 in a year), Level 2 – BAI Super Series Badminton Tournament (4 in a year), Level 1 – BAI Premier Super Series Badminton Tournament (2 in a year).
Badminton Domestic Season: With a mammoth prize pool of 2.2 crores for the entire domestic senior ranking tournaments, Level 3 category tournaments are the preliminary events carrying prize money of Rs 10 lakh, while Level 2 tournaments, to be played twice, have a purse of Rs 15 lakh each followed by a Premier tournament with prize money of 25 lakh.
Badminton Domestic Season: Shuttlers to begin domestic season under new format from December 16
Then there’s Nationals, with a prize purse of Rs 50 lakh. Apart from being financially lucrative to the players, the aim of the format is to make the domestic circuit increasingly competitive by allowing more players to break into the main circuit.
