The city of Visakhapatnam hosted the Pro Masters Badminton League (PMBL) 2018 recently, giving opportunity to 96-odd athletes and their family members to relive memories from their days of glory. This was the first edition of Pro Masters Badminton League. Previously, it was known as Indian Masters Badminton League.“It’s a great opportunity for old timers to get back to the sport,” says V Diju, 37, of Himalayan Tigers. Diju represented India at the 2012 Olympics alongside Jwala Gutta in the mixed doubles format. They were the first Indians to reach the quarter-final in the competition.
Focus to improve
Hailing from Thrissur, Kerala, he says, “My family had a positive perception of sports. Since I was 10, I’ve been playing badminton. However, their support when I was 17 helped me elevate my game. I won consecutive national tournaments during that time.” According to him, with the right amount of focus one can make a career in sports. “I wasn’t very good academically, because my focus was more to improve as a badminton player. My efforts on the court got me grace marks as a student and a Government job after graduation,” says Diju, who received the Arjuna Award in 2014.
A change in mindset
He reminisces about the early 80s and adds, “Back in the day, there were only three levels — State, National and Olympics. Today, even under-13 athletes get opportunities to play abroad.” According to him, the growing opportunities in sports has led to a change in parent’s perception. “Now more parents are supportive of their child’s ambition to be an athlete. In the sport of badminton, the change came after PV Sindhu bagged a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics,” he says.
But despite India’s success in badminton, the sport hasn’t seen the kind of following like cricket, football or even kabaddi. Diju says, “The lack of promotion for badminton is one of the major reasons why the sport isn’t popular.” Diju is currently working at the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). “I previously worked in the Indian Railways and my job there didn’t allow me to play as much. At ONGC, I’ve been playing a lot more.”