CHENNAI: There will not be any cheering girls, a stadium packed with 50,000 fans or mass yellow hysteria. But there is a new ‘Premier League’ in town. The Tamil Nadu Badminton League (TNBL) is set to kick off on June 1 at the JJ Stadium, Kilpauk. With six teams of ten players each, bought through an ‘auction’, one would think this was a spin-off of the IPL. However, according to organiser Game Point, a sports consultancy company, the league has actually been inspired by a similar format in Maharashtra and Karnataka.The tournament is being organised in association with the Tamil Nadu Badminton Association (TNBA) and the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT). This league stands apart from others as there will 13 international players participating as well.This league may not be as well known as the recently completed IPL, but it certainly is closer home. Says 17-year-old Kanthi Visalakshi, who is playing for the Chennai Singhams, “I can’t believe that a league this big is happening right here (TN). We started practising right after the Class 12 boards in April.”Says Aditya Elango, head of marketing at Game Point, “I came up with the idea two years ago, but no one took me seriously at that point.” Elango is a badminton player himself who has participated in a number of tournaments, both within and outside India, and will be representing the Covai Panthers in this league. Whether badminton is a sport you follow or not, there are some highlights of this league not to miss. Former national champion Chetan Anand will be seen in action playing for Dazzle Force (also a Chennai team) along with Uganda player Edwin Ekiring, who is headed for the Olympics.
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