All posts tagged: bai

IGI Stadium fully renovated for BWF World Championships: BAI secretary

IGI Stadium fully renovated for BWF World Championships: BAI secretary

Published by Webster

After drawing criticism over the state of facilities during the India Open earlier this year, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Thursday said the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium has undergone a complete renovation and is ready to host the “best-ever” edition of the BWF World Championships. The India Open came under scrutiny after players raised concerns over the condition of the venue, including its cleanliness, training facilities and air quality. The tournament also witnessed unusual disruptions, with matches briefly halted due to bird droppings and even a monkey entering the spectator stands. The controversy erupted after Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt criticised the condition of the warm-up and practice areas at the K.D. Jadhav Indoor Hall and the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium during the India Open, drawing attention to the poor state of the facilities. “We’ve worked on every issue that came up then, and I’m happy to say those problems have been resolved completely. I’m confident this will be one of the best World Championships ever,” BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra told PTI on …

Prannoy, Unnati progress to second round

Prannoy, Unnati progress to second round

Published by Webster

Seasoned shuttler HS Prannoy and Unnati Hooda, the spearheads of India’s campaign, advanced to the second round of their respective singles events at the Taipei Open Super 300 on Wednesday. Seeded seventh, Prannoy defeated Minoru Koga of Japan 21-11, 21-14 in his opening round men’s singles match that lasted just 35 minutes. He will next take on Hong Kong’s Jason Gunawan, who beat another Indian Mithun Manjunath 21-18, 21-4 in another first round tie. Among other Indian men’s singles players to progress to the second round were Kiran George and Tharun Mannepalli. While George defeated Wang Po-Wei of Chinese Taipei 21-10 21-18, Mannepalli stunned eight seed Jeon Hyeok Jin of Korea 21-12, 21-15. George and Mannepalli will play each other in the next round. But it was curtains for the likes of rising Rounak Chauhan, who progressed through men’s singles qualifiers, as he was shown the door by Richie Duta Richardo of Indonesia 14-21, 16-21. Third seed Unnati started her women’s singles campaign on a positive note by registering a 21- 12, 21-18 win Pei …

When Shabana Azmi Gave Smita Patil Sleepless Nights During Arth, “She Was Supposed To Play The Bai…”

When Shabana Azmi Gave Smita Patil Sleepless Nights During Arth, “She Was Supposed To Play The Bai…”

Published by Webster

Smita Patil & Shabana Azmi’s Cold War Was The Most Talked About Rivalry Of Hindi Cinema! (Photo Credit: Instagram) The parallel cinema movement of Hindi cinema in the 1970s and ’80s introduced us to two powerhouse performers – Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil! Both shared a similar artistic palette, and both were the prized muses of filmmakers like Shyam Benegal and Mahesh Bhatt. Interestingly, both redefined the portrayal of Indian women on screen. Yet, off-screen, their relationship was marked by an intense, unspoken cold war that blew out of proportion on the sets of Arth, and the rift, sadly, remained unsolved and ended only with Smita Patil’s tragic death in 1986. Decades later, Shabana Azmi recalled the rivalry and what exactly happened that turned the final nail in the coffin. Things went so south that there was no coming back to a mutual balance and working together! And it all happened with one witness – Mahesh Bhatt, who directed the two of them! “Smita Was Supposed To Play The Bai”: How Arth Turned Tables! The …

BWF World C’ships 2026: BAI launches mascot, anthem

BWF World C’ships 2026: BAI launches mascot, anthem

Published by Webster

The Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Mansukh Mandaviya and Badminton Association of India (BAI) President Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday unveiled the official mascot, Peacko, and launched the official championship anthem for the BWF World Championships, New Delhi 2026 on Saturday. Featuring PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty and India’s entire 16-member World Championships contingent, the anthem captures the energy, ambition and unity of Indian badminton as it heads into its biggest stage. Featuring all 16 Indian shuttlers together off the court for the first time, the championship anthem presents a fresh, contemporary face of Indian badminton ahead of its biggest home event in 17 years. Alongside Peacko, the official mascot inspired by the Indian Peafowl, it will spearhead BAI’s nationwide fan engagement campaign in the run-up to New Delhi 2026. Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon’ble Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, and Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Badminton Association of India (BAI) President & Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam, graced the occasion of the BWF World Championships, Delhi …

PV Sindhu, Satwik-Chirag in action – Preview, Full India squad

PV Sindhu, Satwik-Chirag in action – Preview, Full India squad

Published by Webster

The 2026 Japan Open Super 750 is all set to kickstart at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium from Tuesday. The tournament carries a total prize purse of USD 950,000 and features many of the world’s top badminton players. It is one of the mandatory stops on the BWF World Tour, making it a key opportunity for players to earn valuable ranking points ahead of the BWF World Championships in New Delhi next month and the Asian Games later this year. India will field a strong contingent led by Lakshya Sen, PV Sindhu and the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in the competition. Youngsters Ayush Shetty and Unnati Hooda will also be aiming to make deep runs and improve their world rankings. Top stars, key Indian matches The men’s singles draw will feature world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi, Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Denmark’s Anders Antonsen and Japan’s Kodai Naraoka among others. In the women’s singles, defending champion An Se Young headlines the field alongside China’s Wang Zhi Yi and Chen Yu Fei, while …

BAI Prez Himanta Biswa Sarma

BAI Prez Himanta Biswa Sarma

Published by Webster

3 min readJul 6, 2026 02:46 PM IST A monkey sitting among the audience, Pigeon poop falling on court during a match: these were few instances that made to the headlines during the India Open Badminton tournament earlier this year. At Idea Exchange with The Indian Express, Badminton Association of India president Himanta Biswa Sarma said it is tough to control the menace. “There is nothing we can do to wipe out the monkeys from Delhi. We can’t touch monkeys as per the wildlife act of India,” Sarma said. “What is the problem if a monkey comes to watch a game? Next time, if the monkeys come, give them bananas.” He added: “Players have to wait if a monkey comes. The game should stop for two minutes, it is their natural habitat.” The 2026 India Open saw some unprecedented incidents like pigeon poop falling on the court during the match between Loh Kean Yew of Singapore and Indian veteran HS Prannoy. #ExpressExclusive | Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also serves as the President …

Pandavani legend Teejan Bai dies at 70; cremated with state honours

Pandavani legend Teejan Bai dies at 70; cremated with state honours

Published by Webster

Legendary Pandavani folk singer Teejan Bai, who took Chhattisgarh’s traditional storytelling art to audiences across the world through her commanding voice and expressive style, died at AIIMS in Raipur on Sunday after a prolonged illness, doctors said. She breathed her last at 3.15 am. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

BAI to implement BWF’s 3×15 scoring system from July onwards

BAI to implement BWF’s 3×15 scoring system from July onwards

Published by Webster

In a proactive step to keep Indian badminton ahead of the curve, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) will implement the new Badminton World Federation (BWF) 3×15 scoring system across the domestic circuit from July 2026, starting with the Yonex-Sunrise All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament, scheduled to be held at the Regional Sports Centre, Ernakulam, from July 7 to 14, 2026. The move is aimed at ensuring Indian shuttlers transition seamlessly into the new format, adapt early to its tactical and physical demands, and sustain the success and competitive edge that have defined India’s rise as a badminton powerhouse globally. Under the revised format, matches will continue to be played as best-of-three games under rally-point scoring, but each game will now be played to 15 points instead of 21. A two-point lead remains mandatory from 14-all, with games capped at 21 points, where the next point becomes decisive at 20-all. The shorter format is expected to increase intensity, accelerate momentum shifts and place greater emphasis on tactical precision and quick decision-making. The change will …

Aakarshi, Tanya progress to second round

Aakarshi, Tanya progress to second round

Published by Webster

Aakarshi Kashyap and Tanya Hemnath remained in contention even as seven of the nine Indian shuttlers, including former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, exited the Canada Open 2026, a BWF Super 300 badminton tournament, in Ontario on Wednesday. Aakarshi beat Anna Tatranova of France 21-14, 21-12, while Tanya overcame Disha Gupta of USA 21-16, 21-18 in 35 minutes. Tanya will play Japan’s Riko Gunji in the second round while Aakarshi will take on fourth seed Beiwen Zhang of the USA next. Kidambi, meanwhile, retired due to injury just nine minutes into the match against Olympic medallist Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia. He was trailing 10-11 in the first game. Saneeth Dayanand and S Sankar Muthusamy also had disappointing outings. Saneeth lost to top seed Yudai Okimoto of Japan 7-21, 11-21 in 34 minutes while Muthusamy stretched his Korean opponent Yoo Tae Bin 21-19, 15-21, 15-21 in a little over an hour. In the women’s singles, Devika Sihag, Rakshitha Ramraj, Anmol Kharb and Shriyanshi Valishetty lost their respective opening round matches. Fifth seed and India’s highest …

BAI Vizag Steel City Centre distributes buttermilk

BAI Vizag Steel City Centre distributes buttermilk

Published by Parlour News

: The Builders Association of India (BAI), Vizag Steel City Centre, distributed buttermilk to those visiting the Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS) in the city, for the fifth consecutive week. The initiative was carried out at the PGRS counters at the District Collectorate, GVMC, and Police Commissionerate under the chairmanship of BAI Vizag Steel City Centre Chairman, P. A. Raju. Amid the prevailing summer heat, the service initiative provided relief to nearly 3,500 citizens, the BAI Vizag Steel City Centre said in a press release on Monday. The public visiting the PGRS centres appreciated the contractors for undertaking this commendable programme aimed at quenching the thirst of people. The programme was attended by P. A. Raju, Chairman, BAI Vizag Steel City Centre; Mada Murthy, Chairman, Visakhapatnam Centre; Ashok, Chairman, Anakapalli Centre; N Nageswara Rao, AP State General Council Member; Vice Chairmen Umapathi and Hari Vijay; Secretary Mohan Rao; and other members of the Association. Published – June 16, 2026 01:08 am IST Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text …