The Premier Badminton League (PBL), once a vibrant showcase of badminton talent, has been dormant for the past three years due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there’s good news for badminton enthusiasts—the PBL might make a comeback by the end of this year or early 2025, according to Sanjay Mishra, the secretary of the Badminton Association of India (BAI).
Why PBL couldn’t continue?
The PBL, organized by SportzLive, had gained global recognition as one of the top badminton leagues. It featured star players like Olympic champions Carolina Marin, Viktor Axelsen, Tai Tzu-Ying, and former World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei in its last five editions.
Despite its success, the league faced challenges. The outbreak of COVID-19 disrupted the 2020 edition, and subsequent attempts to organize it in December-January of 2022-23 did not materialize. Internal issues further complicated matters.
The BAI is actively working to resolve these internal issues. They have engaged with organizers and expressed hope that the league will return soon. Efforts to raise funds and attract investors are underway.
A conglomerate of investors has expressed interest in organizing the PBL. Talks are ongoing between the investors and the BAI. The league’s potential long-term impact on the sport and players motivates these investors.
Kashyap and Saina respond to BAI’s failure to continue PBL
While talking on the Nikhil Tho Muchatlu Podcast, the Indian Badminton Couple Parupalli Kashyap and Saina Nehwal talk about the failure of BAI to continue the league during the Golden Age of Indian Badminton.
Kashyap highlighted that BAI missed a trick by not resuming the league when the top Badminton Stars were in great form. He also mentioned that the BAI needs to regroup a set of top Indian players as the current generation is reaching the flag end of their careers.
You really don't watch a league if your own set of players don't perform well. 2016 was the PBL's debut season. Sindhu's silver, Kidambi making strides, Saina being there up as World No.3, the reason why it was second on the TRP charts after IPL. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/wWo7kHK5GM
— Ankhi Dutta (@ankhitweets) June 25, 2024
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