The city’s dynamic badminton neighborhood is dealing with a problem as 3 of its leading public places– KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium, Chowk Stadium and Vijayant Khand Stadium– fall under disrepair. As soon as commemorated as fertile premises for supporting Lucknow’s future shuttlers, these grassroots centers have actually degenerated into a story of persistent disregard, jeopardising the advancement of young professional athletes.
< source media ="(min-width:768px)" alt ="The badminton hall at Chowk Stadium in pathetic conditions. (HT PHOTO)" > < img src ="https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2026/06/12/400x225/The-badminton-hall-at-Chowk-Stadium-in-pathetic-co_1781282997586.jpeg"alt ="The badminton hall at Chowk Stadium in pathetic conditions. (HT PHOTO)"title ="The badminton hall at Chowk Stadium in pathetic conditions. (HT PHOTO)"width ="360"height ="202"loading ="eager">These courts are now a story of overlook– broken surface areas, fading markings, insufficient lighting and an absence of fundamental upkeep turns practice into a security risk.
The badminton hall at the KD Singh’Babu ‘Stadium looks uncared-for. Presently not available for shuttlers, its artificial floor covering is worn in spots, producing an irregular surface area and increasing the threat of ankle and knee injuries. Court lines have actually faded to near invisibility in locations, requiring coaches and gamers to mark short-term limits with chalk or tape.
For an arena that when held championship games and the prominent Syed Modi Badminton Tournament, these conditions weaken gamer advancement, requiring young shuttlers to relocate to personal academies or stop playing.
“We have actually locked the arena since the condition of all 3 courts is bad and we can’t take any danger with shuttlers who might deal with major injuries if they continue playing here,” stated local sports officer Atul Sinha.
He, nevertheless, stated that price quotes for fixing the badminton courts at all 3 arenas have actually been sent to the authorities worried, and he hopes repair will start quickly. “Even in the past, repair was carried out, and we are pursuing the very same once again,” he included.
The Chowk Stadium, situated in among Lucknow’s busiest communities, has actually been guaranteed upgrades for several years however stays stuck in half-finished repair work. Moist spots on the walls recommend long-lasting water seepage and the odor of mildew prevails after the monsoon.
Overhead lighting is dim (or flickers) throughout night sessions, requiring gamers to stop early. Neighboring altering spaces are unclean and improperly aerated, preventing female gamers from routine usage. Such disregard dissuades involvement.
Both courts at the Vijayant Khand Stadium, regardless of being more recent, have actually struggled with bad preparation and cost-cutting. Huge and little holes on the artificial grass have actually ended up being irreversible eyesores as they minimize the functional court width. The management’s failure to set up correct anti-slip floor covering has actually caused numerous small injuries reported by regional shuttlers.
The supposed bad administration at government-run badminton halls has actually developed a peaceful crisis for the sport’s next generation. With personnel scarcities, irregular opening hours and nontransparent scheduling systems, official scheduling has actually ended up being inefficient. Veteran shuttlers, who come for enjoyable or physical fitness, have actually nearly managed the court schedules and practice slots, leaving young shuttlers having actually lowered gain access to.
“We have actually a repaired schedule for students from 5:30 to 8:30 in the early morning and 4 to 7 at night. Real shuttlers, particularly students, get to play from 2pm to 6pm just as the courts stay inhabited by veterans in the early morning hours, who primarily play for physical fitness,” stated a coach.
“Aspiring gamers, who require constant and structured practice, are typically relegated to odd hours or cancelled sessions,” he stated, including, “Despite duplicated grievances to authorities, absolutely nothing has actually been done so far.”
Another coach, Devendra Kaushal, stated there was no such simple access to veterans in the past at the KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium. “We had main support not to permit veterans to interrupt the regular training of children as these arenas are indicated to produce skill. Now those rigorous procedures are gone, and students have actually ended up being secondary,” he stated.
Kaushal, an ex-coach of the Sports Authority of India, stated nowadays moms and dads are required to move their badminton-playing kids to personal academies– practically 20 in the state capital– and the genuine system of training has actually collapsed. “You can discover that the majority of the academies have unqualified coaches, however moms and dads are required to pay 3,000 to 15,000 each month, whereas government-run places charge just 100 in a year for a shuttler listed below 18 years of age.”
He likewise stated the KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium, regardless of being the most popular centre for badminton, has actually lost its beauty. The place was understood for producing ace shuttlers, consisting of eight-time nationwide champ Syed Modi.
