Gopichand ‘deeply appalled’ at decision to exclude badminton

Pullela Gopichand

The legendary Pullela Gopichand and Vimal Kumar on Tuesday slammed the decision to exclude sports such as badminton from 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and urged the country to not send a team to the event as it is aimed at "stunting" India's progress.

In a blow to India's medal prospects in the Commonwealth Games, key sports such as hockey, badminton, wrestling, cricket, table tennis and shooting have been dropped from the 2026 edition by host city Glasgow, which unveiled a pruned roster of 10 disciplines to keep the event budget-friendly and free of "operational risks."

But the roster has stunned the Indian sports fraternity with Gopichand and Vimal coming out with the strongest reactions. Gopichand, who is often credited with creating a pipeline of top badminton players by identifying them at a young age, described the move by the games' organisers' as appalling. "I am deeply appalled and disappointed by the decision to exclude badminton from the 2026 Commonwealth Games - a judgment that appears to be aimed at stunting the progress of nations like India," the former All England champion said.

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Gopichand added, "Badminton has brought us immense pride and success, serving as a vital platform for our brightest talents to shine on the international stage.

"This decision represents a significant lapse not just for Indian badminton, but for the sport worldwide, lacking clear reasoning and jeopardizing its growth."

"There is no need for CWG. In my opinion, they should do away with it. It is better to organise Olympics and Asian Games than CWG. It is pathetic, I am really disappointed. CWG is losing its charm, relevance, so I feel strongly we shouldn't send out a team for CWG," said ex-India coach Vimal.

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