The Badminton Association of India’s (BAI) commercial venture Premier Badminton League is conspicuous by its absence as the BAI released its annual calendar for the 2021-22 season.
The good news is that the international badminton will be back in India after more than a year with the BWF India Open World Tour Super 500, to be played in New Delhi from May 3 to 9.
The BAI on Friday released the calendar for the 2021-22 season. The Covid-19 pandemic had marred the last season of badminton in the country due to the nationwide lockdown and worldwide travel restrictions.
India will host two more international events during the year. The Hyderabad BWF Super 100 is slated from August 24-29, while the big ticket Syed Modi India International BWF World Tour Super 300 will be played in Lucknow from October 12-17.
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However, the absence of the PBL is an indicator that the badminton governing body and its commercial partners Sprotz & Live Private Limited are not in a position to conduct the professional league for the second successive year.
The BAI had launched its commercial league with much hype in 2013 as the Indian Premier League. The contract with the then commercial partner Sporty Solutionz was terminated abruptly and the tournament did not take place the next year.
The BAI had then roped in the Sportz & Live, but the league could never attain greater heights during its next five years of operations.
There appears no certainty on the future of the PBL, which once showed potential to give BAI the status in the world badminton parallel to what the Indian Premier League has given to the Board of Control for Cricket in India in global cricket.
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