PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen Win Hylo Open Titles Despite Self-Funding European Tour

Saarbrücken: Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen capped their European tour on a winning note, clinching the women’s and men’s singles titles respectively at the Hylo Open in Saarbrücken, Germany. However, their triumph has brought attention to the financial challenges faced by Indian shuttlers during the four-tournament European swing, as players were forced to bear their own expenses due to a lack of government funding.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) did not release financial assistance for the European tour, which included tournaments in Finland, Denmark, France and Germany. Players were reportedly informed about the funding shortfall just days before the Arctic Open began in Vantaa on October 6.

While the Badminton Association of India (BAI) arranged accommodation for the opening tournament in Finland, players had to manage their travel, lodging and food expenses for the remaining events.

The funding crunch also affected on-court support, with several players travelling without their personal coaches. Ashmita Chaliha received support from fellow shuttler Isharani Baruah during her French Open campaign, while Tanvi Sharma competed without a coach at the Denmark Open.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, who also reached the French Open final during the tour, expressed surprise over the funding issue. She said she had to manage the expenses independently, with additional assistance from Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ).

Sindhu maintained that participating in the tournaments and staying focused on her performance remained her priority despite the financial uncertainty.

Meanwhile, SAI clarified that the funding delay was administrative and not linked to India’s performance at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. According to officials, the proposal was not submitted by BAI within the mandatory 30-day pre-tournament deadline.

SAI has reportedly restored funding support for upcoming international tournaments. However, players will not receive retrospective reimbursement for expenses incurred during the European tour.