Badminton is the most popular sport in India, followed by cricket, feels Saina Nehwal

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk,SportsCafe Editor

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According to Saina Nehwal, Badminton is the most popular sport in the country and cricket is second on the list. She also mentioned that success in any sport is always in connection with the sociological connect and badminton is being seen equally important as studies by parents.

In her column for the Times of India, Saina has written that many kids in India are opting for different sports and not only cricket. She is of the opinion that badminton’s popularity in urban areas of the country has increased a lot and the government is also doing its work by holding camps for the children. Saina, who is currently ranked 10th in the world, feels that badminton is even more popular than cricket in the country.

"I feel badminton is the most popular sport in India, followed by cricket. To avoid saturation, many kids have already started to opt for other sports like shooting, football or other games. The popularity of badminton has increased several notches in urban areas. Kids make use of every small portion of the city for sports and the government is also making it popular by organising summer camps. Badminton in India has been embraced with open hands and henceforth, the popularity for brand showcasing is on the increase," Saina wrote in her column.

"Success in any sport is always linked to its sociological connect. When I started playing badminton in 2001, very few parents actually travelled with their kids. Travel was difficult and hectic. Nowadays, almost every player is followed by their parents and most of them travel by air. The concept and priorities of the parents have changed - badminton is being seen equally important as studies. This apparent shift in the paradigm has helped the kids to get engaged to badminton."

Saina, who is the first Indian badminton player to have won an Olympic medal and the first and only female player from India to attain the World No. 1 ranking, pointed out that the number of entries into the national and ranking tournaments have increased a lot which shows the aspirations of the kids and their parents.

"Earlier, entries into National and Ranking tournaments were numbered - several boys' and girls' events combined together didn't touch a thousand. But currently, number of entries almost touch the sky. The aspirations of the kids and their parents is seen to be believed," Saina opined.

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