Bangladesh can do well in badminton with proper guidance, says former world champion Chan

It's a common scene in the winter afternoon, both in rural and urban areas of Bangladesh, wherever there is an open space, youngsters and middle-aged persons alike play badminton.

However, despite its seasonal popularity, Bangladesh lag behind in the international badminton scene.

There is a lack of good coaches, infrastructure and funding to take interested players to the next level.

To bridge this gap, Chan Chong Ming, a winner of three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and also World Junior Champion thrice, came to Bangladesh at the invitation of International School Dhaka (ISD) to provide training to interested individuals earlier this month.

Chan feels that the talent is there but they need proper nurturing.

"I see lots of students who have talent and are interested in badminton, but they need to be trained by good coaches to reach the world stage and do well there. Bangladesh can do well in badminton with proper guidance."

Chan explains that coming from a middle-class family, his route to becoming a top player was not easy but he had the mental attributes to do well.

"If you want to succeed as a badminton player, you need to work hard and be determined. There is no substitute for that."

Chan feels that there should be more investment in badminton for the country to produce more players and to increase the interest of people. 

"I see that many kids are interested to play and get good at badminton, but they can't take it up as a full-time career because of a lack of money."

But he commends ISD's initiative and hopes that more and more schools can start such things.

"If schools give more priority to sports like this, chances of producing better players will be higher. But the next step is for the academies and the national badminton federation to groom these talents."

There is still a long way to go for Bangladesh in badminton, but getting world-renowned coaches like Chan is a small step in the right direction for a sport that has the potential to be massive in the country.