2024 in review — Indian badminton shuttles between brilliance and despair

Badminton’s exclusion from the upcoming 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Glasgow, Scotland, was perhaps the biggest news from the sport last year.

This move copped flak from some of India’s prominent names in badminton, given the country’s impressive tally of 31 medals in the racquet sport at the CWG.

Apart from this revelation, the year witnessed retirements, heartbreaks, and athletes criticising their federations.

Before looking ahead, it is worthwhile to reflect on the major moments in badminton from the past year.

The dichotomy of the Paris Games

The Paris Olympics proved disappointing for Indian shuttlers, with the exception of Lakshya Sen (right), who had an impressive run in the tournament. The men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty entered as firm favourites to win a medal but crashed out at the quarterfinal stage.

Two-time medallist P.V. Sindhu arrived in Paris out of form, which became evident at the La Chapelle Arena during the knockouts. After overpowering lesser opponents in the group stage, Sindhu succumbed to China’s He Bingjiao in straight games.

In women’s doubles, the contrasting duo of Ashwini Ponnappa — an epitome of experience and composure — and Tanisha Crasto, a symbol of youthful exuberance, failed to advance beyond the group stage.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty entered the Paris Games as firm favourites to win a medal but crashed out at the quarterfinal stage. 
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The men’s singles category, however, did spark some hope in this dull campaign.

Lakshya became the first Indian man to qualify for the semifinals at the Games. While he fell short of securing a silver medal, his journey included defeating compatriot HS Prannoy. Unfortunately, Lakshya finished fourth after losing to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in the bronze-medal match.

Not all was doom and gloom for Indian shuttlers in Paris.

The para badminton contingent delivered a stellar performance, bagging five medals, including one gold, clinched by Nitesh Kumar in the men’s singles SL3 category.

Other medallists included Suhas Yathiraj (silver – men’s singles SL4), Thulasimathi Murugesan (silver – women’s singles SU5), Manisha Ramdass (bronze – women’s singles SU5), and Nithya Sre Sivan (bronze – women’s singles SH6).

However, the team undoubtedly missed the presence of World Champion and reigning Paralympics gold medallist Pramod Bhagat, who was ruled out of the Paris Games after being found guilty of breaching anti-doping regulations by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Youngsters on the rise

While the seniors fell short of expectations, several youngsters seized the spotlight. Early in the year, Anmol Kharb played a key role in helping the Indian women’s team clinch a historic gold medal at the Badminton Asia Team Championships by defeating Thailand 3–2. The 17-year-old triumphed over Pornpicha Choeikeewong in straight games in the deciding match.

In July, Priyanshu Rajawat stunned then World No. 4 Anders Antonsen of Denmark to reach the semifinals of the Canada Open — one of the biggest wins in his young career.

Soon after the Olympics, teenager Tanvi Patri claimed the U-15 girls’ singles title at the Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Junior Championships, becoming the third Indian to achieve the feat after Samiya Imad Farooqui and Tasnim Mir in 2017 and 2019, respectively.

After a dismal Paris Games, P.V. Sindhu won the Syed Modi International singles crown. 
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Meanwhile, Malvika Bansod made waves at the China Open by upsetting Paris Olympics bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia in her opening match. However, her campaign ended in the quarterfinals against fourth seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan.

Unhappy shuttlers

While there was plenty of high-octane action on the court, there was no shortage of drama off it. Numerous players — Indian and international, active and retired — voiced criticism against their respective national badminton federations.

Former Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong Wei issued a stern warning ahead of the Paris Olympics, calling for drastic changes to rescue the sport in his country.

He expressed deep frustration, admitting he felt like “giving up” on Malaysian badminton after the men’s team suffered a 0–3 defeat to China at the Asia Team Championships.

South Korea’s An Se-Young, fresh off her Olympic gold triumph, criticised her federation for compelling her to compete despite injuries. She further lambasted the country’s training methods, labelling them outdated.

Nitesh, shortly after his Paralympics gold win, openly expressed dissatisfaction with the Badminton Association of India (BAI). He called for Indian para-badminton to come under the governance of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). Towards the end of 2024, former Indian shuttler Parupalli Kashyap made a bold statement, claiming badminton in India had not grown significantly and that the sport merely revolved around its superstars and financial gains.

Usual suspects, goodbyes, and some respite

For some, 2024 was business as usual.

India celebrated three world champions at the Para World Badminton Championships: Pramod Bhagat, Suhas Yathiraj, and Krishna Nagar. The Indian contingent wrapped up the tournament with 18 medals. At the All England Open, Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie secured his maiden title, while Spain’s Carolina Marin clinched her second, ending a nine-year gap since her first win.

Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly became the first Indian women’s pair to clinch the doubles title at Syed Modi International. 
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China dominated both the Thomas and Uber Cups, defeating Indonesia in the finals of both competitions to assert dominance.

The year was also an emotional one for many in the badminton world.

Tai Tzu Ying began the final season of her illustrious career with a title win at the India Open, held at New Delhi’s KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium. At just 29, Japan’s Kento Momota, a two-time world champion, announced his retirement from international badminton, though he plans to continue competing in Japan’s domestic circuit.

India’s B. Sai Praneeth, a 2019 World Championship bronze medallist, also decided to step away from international badminton. Similarly, China’s He Bingjiao, after clinching silver at the Paris Olympics, announced her retirement from the sport at the highest level.

Another notable departure came from Mathias Boe, whose retirement from coaching marked the end of a significant chapter. Boe, an Olympic silver medallist and the coach of Satwik-Chirag, made his decision public after the Indian duo’s quarterfinal exit at the Paris Olympics, a moment that surely left both players emotional.

But the year ended on a positive note for Indian badminton.

Satwik and Chirag returned to action after a three-month break following their Olympic disappointment. The pair reached the semifinals of the China Masters and had a mixed year overall, regaining the World No. 1 ranking at one stage and clinching titles at the French and Thailand Opens.

Sindhu ended her two-year title drought by clinching the Syed Modi International singles crown. Elsewhere, the women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand — India’s sole representatives at the BWF World Tour Finals — secured their maiden Super 300 title while Lakshya Sen also concluded the year on a high, winning the men’s singles title at the same tournament.

Spain’s Carolina Marin clinched her second All England Open title, ending a nine-year gap since her first win.
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In 2025

Whether the much-loved Premier Badminton League (PBL) will return remains uncertain. Discussions about reviving the tournament surfaced early last year, but the final decision now rests with BAI secretary Sanjay Mishra.

Moreover, BWF announced India as the host for this year’s World Junior Championships. The tournament will be held in Guwahati, marking the second time India will host the event, the first instance being in Pune in 2008.

A rejuvenated Sindhu, fresh off her long-awaited title win, could potentially return to her best form. Similarly, Lakshya Sen, following his stellar run at the Olympics, may continue to shine on the global stage. The women’s doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand could also carry forward their momentum from their impressive performances at the World Tour Finals.

With major tournaments like the All England Open and the World Championships on the calendar, the focus will be on which Indian shuttlers — or perhaps a rising foreign star — will rise to the occasion and deliver standout performances.

Look out for

Malvika Bansod: One Indian shuttler to keep an eye on is Malvika Bansod. The 23-year-old from Nagpur had a promising 2024 on the BWF World Tour, racking up consistent results that included a runner-up finish at the Hylo Open and a quarterfinal appearance at the China Open.

Ranked just outside the top 30 in singles at the start of 2025, Malvika has shown consistent improvement.
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SANDEEP SAXENA

Ranked just outside the top 30 in singles at the start of 2025, Malvika has shown consistent improvement and the potential to make a breakthrough. She has already started the year on a strong note, securing a first-round victory over local player Goh Jin Wei at the Malaysia Open.