India determined to make Thomas Cup euphoria count

Thomas Cup triumph has handed its badminton bosses an opportunity to transform the game's profile in the cricket-mad country and they are determined not to squander it. India shook up the badminton world last month with a 3-0 dismantling of Thomas Cup royalty Indonesia in the final of the prestigious men's team championship in Bangkok. Impact Arena was an appropriate venue for India, playing their maiden final, to stun 14-times champions Indonesia and become only the sixth nation to win the coveted trophy.

Editorials were written, cash awards announced and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes to players Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy. "Few in India knew about Thomas Cup, and overnight the players have become household names," Badminton Association of India (BAI) secretary Sanjay Mishra told Reuters. "Our effort is to build on this euphoria.

Our prime minister said there must be a fivefold increase in the number of badminton players in the country." Many believe the Thomas Cup victory can do for badminton what the 1983 World Cup triumph did for cricket in India. Mishra sees that as a fair expectation. While the Sports Authority of India looks after training and travel, the BAI is recruiting 30 coaches and building half-a-dozen new training centres across the country.

"Winning the Thomas Cup was a dream-come-true, but now begins the tougher task - of maintaining this level," Mishra said. "We are preparing the next set of players who would be ready to replace the current crop in the next two years." 'IMPETUS'The BAI has also won approval of the governing Badminton World Federation (BWF) to host two international challengers, Mishra said. Badminton has earned