Badminton in Meghalaya

Verified profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and scholarships on this page are compiled from federation and government sources (BAI, BWF).

Overview

Governing body: BAI
Origin: British India
Olympic discipline: Yes
Category: Racquet
Total players listed: …

Badminton is one of India's most-followed disciplines. The BAI oversees national federation activity, talent identification and Olympic qualification pathways. Major support flows in through TOPS and Khelo India for athletes who clear federation benchmarks.

Badminton is a recognised Olympic discipline, which shapes the entire high-performance pipeline in India. Athletes who break into the senior national camp become eligible for the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which funds international training stints, foreign coaches, sports science support, equipment and travel for ranking events. Below the senior tier, the Khelo India Youth Games, University Games and Winter Games act as the country's largest scouting net, feeding talent into the Khelo India Talent Development scheme where annual stipends, boarding and dedicated coaching are provided at SAI National Centres of Excellence and accredited academies. The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports tracks every selected athlete's progress against published benchmarks, and underperformance can mean a drop from the scheme — the pathway is rigorous by design.

Badminton in India follows the global individual-sport calendar of ranking tournaments, with the BAI sanctioning the domestic circuit and selecting players for international duty. Junior rankings start at under-13 and feed into senior all-India rankings used for national team selection. Private academies — many run by former internationals — have become the dominant talent-production model, and the best junior players routinely train and compete abroad with federation clearance. Equipment cost and access to quality sparring partners remain the two biggest practical barriers for new entrants in smaller cities.

At the grassroots, the route into Badminton typically starts at school under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), at the inter-university level under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or through a private academy registered with the state association. The Khelo India Youth Games and Khelo India University Games are the largest single discovery platforms — athletes who reach the podium at these events become eligible for the Khelo India Talent Development scheme, which funds boarding, coaching, kit, education and a monthly stipend at accredited centres. State sports awards and central government jobs under the sports quota remain a powerful incentive for athletes from smaller towns.

Badminton originated in British India, and in India it has developed a distinct character shaped by the country's geography, demographics and sporting culture. Whether you want to compete, coach, sponsor, write about or simply follow Badminton, the practical starting point is the same: connect with your state association under the BAI, identify the nearest SAI centre or accredited academy, and track the Khelo India and federation calendars for the events that decide selection at every level. India is a top-5 nation, led by world and Olympic medallists.

History

How badminton evolved globally and took root in India.

Badminton traces its modern origins to British India. Codified rules, standard equipment and international competition took shape as the sport spread beyond its birthplace, and BAI is the body that carried it into organised Indian competition.

In India, badminton grew through princely-state patronage, defence-service teams, universities and state associations. Post-independence, the discipline was formalised under BAI, national championships were instituted, and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) later brought it into the centralised high-performance system with dedicated centres, coaching cadres and sports-science support.

Badminton being on the Olympic programme reshaped its Indian pathway: Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) selection, Khelo India Talent Development stipends and international training stints became the norm for the country's leading athletes.

Indian Achievements

Verified Olympic, World, Asian and Commonwealth milestones for India in badminton.

P. V. Sindhu — Olympic Silver (Rio 2016) and Olympic Bronze (Tokyo 2020); only Indian woman with two individual Olympic medals.
Saina Nehwal — Olympic Bronze (London 2012); former World No. 1.
P. V. Sindhu — BWF World Champion 2019 (first Indian to win a World Championship gold).
Thomas Cup 2022 — India won its first-ever men's team world title, beating Indonesia in Bangkok.
Prakash Padukone — All England Open Champion 1980 (first Indian to win the title).
Pullela Gopichand — All England Open Champion 2001 (only second Indian to win it).

Famous Indian Players

Landmark badminton names from India, past and present.

P. V. Sindhu
Two-time Olympic medallist, World Champion 2019.
Saina Nehwal
Olympic bronze 2012; first Indian woman to reach World No. 1.
Prakash Padukone
1980 All England Champion; former World No. 1.
Pullela Gopichand
2001 All England Champion; chief national coach.
Kidambi Srikanth
Former World No. 1; World Championship silver 2021.
Lakshya Sen
World bronze 2021; CWG gold 2022; All-England finalist 2022.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty
World No. 1 men's doubles; Asian Games gold 2022, CWG gold 2022.

Notable Coaches

Head coaches and mentors behind India's leading badminton results.

Pullela Gopichand
Chief National Coach — coached Saina, Sindhu, Srikanth to world honours.
Anup Sridhar
P. V. Sindhu's coach; former Indian No. 1.
Vimal Kumar
Prakash Padukone Academy head; former national coach.
Mathias Boe (Denmark)
Doubles coach behind Satwik-Chirag's rise.

All coaches directory →

Scholarships & Funding

Central, state and private scholarships available for badminton athletes in India.

Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy scholarships
Full-scholarship residential slots at Hyderabad for identified junior talent.
Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (Bengaluru)
Scholarship and stipend programme for junior boys and girls.
Khelo India Talent Development Scheme (KISCE)
Monthly stipend (₹10,000 for Khelo India athletes), boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for identified badminton talent (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports).
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Central government scheme covering training, foreign exposure, equipment and out-of-pocket allowance (up to ₹50,000/month) for medal-prospect badminton athletes; administered by the Mission Olympic Cell.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite badminton athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment.

Explore all government schemes →

Indian Players

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Rules

Played as singles or doubles with a shuttlecock hit over a net using rackets. Matches are best-of-three games to 21 points (rally point scoring — a point is won on every serve regardless of who served). A side must win by 2 points, capped at 30.

Authoritative rulebook: BAI. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Key roles, events or positions inside a badminton squad or competition.

Singles
One-on-one match — the standard individual format for ranking events.
Doubles
Two-a-side format with different court coverage and serve/return patterns.
Mixed doubles
One male and one female partner — a distinct discipline at multi-sport meets.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in badminton at a federation-recognised event.

Badminton racket
Shuttlecock (feather or synthetic)
Net (1.55m at posts)
Non-marking court shoes

Governing body

National federation

BAI

BAI is the recognised national body for Badminton in India. It sets the domestic calendar, selection norms, coaching curriculum and anti-doping compliance, and is affiliated to the international federation for badminton. State associations under BAI run age-group competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Origin: British India
Olympic: Yes
Category: Racquet

All federations →

Major Indian Events

Domestic championships, Khelo India events, National Games and franchise leagues that shape the badminton calendar in India.

Senior National Badminton Championship
BAI's flagship senior singles and doubles nationals.
Junior & Sub-Junior Nationals (U-19, U-17, U-15, U-13)
Age-group national championships.
Yonex-Sunrise India Open (Super 750)
BWF World Tour Super 750 event held in New Delhi.
Syed Modi International (Super 300)
BWF World Tour tournament in Lucknow.
Premier Badminton League (PBL)
Franchise-based team league (BAI-sanctioned, previously annual).

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions where India competes in badminton.

Olympic Games (Badminton)
Singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
BWF World Championships
Annual world championship (except Olympic years).
Thomas Cup / Uber Cup
Men's and women's team world championships.
Sudirman Cup
Mixed-team world championship.
All England Open
Oldest and most prestigious tournament (Super 1000).
BWF World Tour Finals & Super Series
Top-8 season-ending event; Super 1000/750/500/300 tour.

Leagues

Franchise and professional leagues catalogued for badminton. Full season data, champions and schedule filters are available in the sidebar.

Domestic · Since 2013
Premier Badminton League
Brings world's top shuttlers to Indian cities each season.
International · Since 2008
India Open
India's flagship BWF World Tour stop, held annually in New Delhi.
International · Since 1899
All England Open
The sport's oldest and most prestigious open tournament.
International · Since 1977
BWF World Championships
BWF's annual individual world championship across all five disciplines.
International · Since 1949
Thomas Cup
Men's team world championship of badminton; India won historic gold in 2022.
International · Since 1957
Uber Cup
Women's team world championship of badminton.

All leagues →

International Players

Globally recognised badminton athletes to know outside India.

Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
Two-time Olympic champion (Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024) and World Champion (2017, 2022).
Chen Long / Lin Dan (China)
Two of the most decorated men's singles Olympic champions.
An Se-young (South Korea)
Olympic Champion Paris 2024; multiple-time World Champion.
Chen Yufei (China)
Olympic Champion Tokyo 2020.

Records

Where to find India's official badminton record book.

Olympic medalsTracked
Individual and team Olympic medals for India in badminton are logged on the official IOC and IOA archives.
Asian Games medalsTracked
India's Asian Games results in badminton are compiled by the Indian Olympic Association and the BAI.
Commonwealth medalsTracked
Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championship medals in badminton are maintained by the BAI.
World Championship medalsTracked
Senior, junior and youth World Championship medal records are held by the international federation for badminton and mirrored by BAI.
National record holdersFederation register
BAI publishes the current senior, junior and sub-junior national records and updates them after every ratified event.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in badminton — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Full-time professional on the BWF World Tour with BAI backing
BAI / BWF certified coach; academy owner
BWF-certified umpire / referee
Stringing, kit and shuttle-manufacturing specialist
Sports quota jobs (Railways, ONGC, Air India, Petroleum Sports Board)
Broadcast, commentary and content careers

Explore sports careers →Coaches directory →

Related academies

12 listed

Pullela Gopichand Badminton AcademyElite
Hyderabad, Telangana · Since 2008
Birthplace of Saina Nehwal and P. V. Sindhu's Olympic medals.
Prakash Padukone Badminton AcademyElite
Bengaluru, Karnataka · Since 1994
Founded by India's first All-England champion.
Olympic Gold Quest HPCElite
Mumbai, Maharashtra · Since 2001
Foundation backing India's leading Olympic medal contenders with full athlete support.
Thyagaraj Sports ComplexState
New Delhi, Delhi · Since 2010
Delhi government's flagship indoor multi-sport stadium and academy.
Hyderabad District Badminton AcademyState
Hyderabad, Telangana · Since 2002
Feeder pathway for the Gopichand and Padukone academies.
Parupalli Kashyap Badminton AcademyNational
Hyderabad, Telangana · Since 2018
Founded by the Commonwealth Games gold medallist for next-gen shuttlers.
Assam Badminton Association AcademyState
Guwahati, Assam · Since 2009
Northeast's principal residential badminton academy.
Vimal Kumar Badminton CentreElite
Bengaluru, Karnataka · Since 2002
Coaching base for Saina Nehwal in her peak years — run by Dronacharya awardee Vimal Kumar.
Sen Brothers Badminton CentreState
Almora, Uttarakhand · Since 2010
Uttarakhand academy that produced Olympian Lakshya Sen and Chirag Sen.
IndianOil Sports AcademyNational
Mumbai, Maharashtra · Since 1980
IndianOil's multi-sport employer academy with national-team players.
Abhinav Bindra Foundation Performance LabElite
Mohali, Punjab · Since 2021
Multi-sport sport-science lab and performance centre in Mohali.
Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports ExcellenceElite
Bengaluru, Karnataka · Since 2012
Bengaluru's premier private high-performance centre run by Padukone and Dravid.

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Government Schemes

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Central and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for badminton athletes and academies.

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FAQs

Common questions about badminton in India.

Who governs badminton in India?▾

The Badminton Association of India (BAI), affiliated to the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Who was the first Indian world champion in badminton?▾

P. V. Sindhu — BWF World Championship gold in 2019 (Basel).

Has India won the Thomas Cup?▾

Yes — India won its first men's team world title at the 2022 Thomas Cup in Bangkok.

What is the Super 750 event in India?▾

The Yonex-Sunrise India Open, held annually in New Delhi.

Badminton in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Badminton in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.

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