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While the Indian Premier League dominates the national consciousness this May, the Indian men's badminton team quietly secured a monumental bronze at the Thomas Cup in Denmark. Despite following up their historic 2022 gold with another podium finish at the sport’s prestigious team world championships, the achievement has been met with a deafening silence. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Khel Ratna awardee Satwiksairaj Rankireddy expressed deep disillusionment regarding the lack of visibility and public celebration for elite non-cricketing athletes.

Unrecognised At The Airport

The return from Horsens, Denmark, was a somber affair for the champions. Despite wearing custom-made uniforms to stand out, the team was ignored by the thousands present at the airport. Satwik told NDTV:

"At the airport, there were almost 5,000-10,000 people, and nobody recognised us. That really felt bad. Just say hi to us - that's it. We don't need anything big in life. We were wearing the same uniform. We had T-shirts with the Indian flag and 'Thomas Cup' written on them. We actually printed those T-shirts ourselves as a team - it was Prannoy's idea to wear something special so everyone looks the same. The federation gave us official T-shirts, but these were something extra we did."

Financial Struggles and Influencer Culture

Satwik highlighted the stark contrast between the sacrifices made by athletes and the perks enjoyed by social media stars. He recalled his family’s financial hardships, stating:

"When I started playing badminton, my parents did not have enough money to support my sport. They backed me with loans against my mother's jewellery. All of us struggled to be here."

The lack of status was further emphasized by his experiences in his hometown. Satwik noted:

"It hurts to see that a social media influencer in my own city, Hyderabad, is preferred at a restaurant, gets a table earlier than I, a Khel Ratna awardee, do."

A Plea for Badminton’s Visibility

Rankireddy clarified that his frustration stems from a desire for the sport to grow, not from a comparison with cricket. He believes visibility on television is the key to changing the narrative. He said:

"When we won the Thomas Cup in 2022, no one even knew what it was. Then again, after four years, we are back with a medal, and nothing has changed. So I was very frustrated. We don't want anything big - we don't need prize money or anything huge. We just want people to recognise that there is an Indian badminton team."

Challenges of a Professional Career

The World No. 3 also touched upon the mental and physical toll of professional badminton, where a short break can destroy a player's ranking. Satwik highlighted the unique difficulty of doubles:

"In doubles, it's even tougher - there was no clear path before us. Singles had legends like Gopichand sir, Prakash, Saina, Sindhu, Srikanth, Kashyap. But for doubles, we had to build everything from scratch."