Sports Authority of India Denies Asian Games Link to Badminton Funding Delay, Says Badminton Association Missed 30-Day Deadline: Report

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has rejected reports that funding for Indian badminton players was withheld because of India's medal-less performance at the Asian Games in Japan. SAI has instead blamed the Badminton Association of India (BAI), saying it failed to submit the funding proposal within the stipulated 30-day deadline.

"BAI did not submit their proposal within the pre-set time. Federations will also have to start acting responsibly," SAI sources told IANS on Tuesday.

Players Face Financial Difficulties During European Tour

According to a report in The Indian Express, SAI did not fund the Indian contingent's four-tournament European campaign covering Finland, Denmark, France and Germany. Players were reportedly informed of the decision only days before the Arctic Open began in Vantaa, Finland, on October 6.

PV Sindhu said she was surprised by the development and had to manage some of her expenses herself, while Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) also extended support.

"When I got to know, I was a bit shocked and wondered how the funding hadn't gone through. I hadn't faced something like that before," Sindhu said.

She added that she remained focused on her performance despite the situation.

"For me, the focus was on how I could improve my performance. That was the most important thing at the end of the day. See, these things keep happening, but they shouldn't stop us," she said.

The funding setback also affected coaching support. Ashmita Chaliha had fellow Indian shuttler Isharani Baruah in her corner when she defeated Japan's Akane Yamaguchi at the French Open. Tanvi Sharma, who reached the quarter-finals at the Denmark Open, also competed without a coach guiding her during a match.

SAI Explains 30-Day Deadline

An SAI official said the deadline for submitting funding proposals was reduced after federations raised concerns about the earlier requirements. Previously, proposals had to be submitted 90 days before an event without players' names and 60 days in advance with the names included. The timeline was later revised to 30 days.

"Earlier, the rules required federations to submit proposals 90 days in advance without names and 60 days in advance with the names. This was primarily because you could plan your trip well in advance. But the federation said it could not do it that early, so we revised the deadline to 30 days," the official told IANS.

"Even then, we did not receive the proposal. These new guidelines apply to everybody. If we don't have the proposal with the names 30 days before a tournament, we will not process it," the official added.

Sindhu and Lakshya Finish Tour with Hylo Open Titles

Despite the funding uncertainty, Sindhu and Lakshya Sen won the women's and men's singles titles, respectively, at the Hylo Open 2026, a BWF World Tour Super 500 event held at the Saarlandhalle in Germany. The tournament concluded on Sunday.

Their victories marked the first time in four years that two Indians had won the men's and women's singles titles at the same BWF World Tour event at the Super 500 level or above.