Indian badminton stars PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen delivered a memorable finish to their European campaign by winning singles titles at the Hylo Open 2026 in Germany. However, their achievements came amid a funding controversy after the Sports Authority of India (SAI) did not release financial support for the Indian contingent's four-tournament European tour.
The funding disruption left several players covering their own travel, accommodation, food and coaching expenses while competing internationally.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Indian shuttlers learned about the funding issue only days before the Arctic Open began in Finland on October 6. The European campaign included tournaments in Finland, Denmark, France and Germany, leaving players with little time to arrange alternative financial support.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu expressed surprise over the situation, saying she had never experienced such a funding problem before.
Despite the unexpected financial burden, Sindhu decided to continue competing rather than withdraw from the tournaments. She managed some expenses personally, while Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), an organisation supporting Indian athletes, provided additional assistance.
SAI Funding Delay Forces Indian Shuttlers to Cover Expenses
The funding issue created difficulties for several Indian badminton players participating in the European badminton tour.
The Badminton Association of India (BAI) reportedly informed players that accommodation would be arranged for the opening tournament in Finland. However, athletes were expected to manage their own travel, food, accommodation and other expenses for the remaining competitions.
The financial pressure also affected coaching arrangements, with some players unable to afford the cost of bringing their regular coaches.
At the French Open, Ashmita Chaliha received courtside support from fellow Indian player Isharani Baruah during her impressive victory over world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi.
Young shuttler Tanvi Sharma also competed without a coach at the Denmark Open, where she reached the quarterfinals.
Despite these difficulties, Indian players produced several encouraging performances throughout the European campaign.
Sindhu reached the French Open final before losing to South Korea's An Se-young. Meanwhile, Anmol Kharb advanced to the semifinals of the Hylo Open.
The biggest success came in Germany, where Lakshya Sen ended his year-long title drought by winning the men's singles crown.
Sindhu also secured the women's singles championship, claiming her second title of the season. Her victory strengthened her chances of qualifying for the BWF World Tour Finals and helped her return to sixth place in the world rankings.
BAI Proposal Deadline Behind SAI Funding Controversy
The funding controversy raised questions about coordination between the Sports Authority of India and the Badminton Association of India.
While some sources suggested that the decision might have been linked to India's disappointing badminton performance at the Asian Games, SAI officials rejected that explanation.
A senior SAI official stated that funding was not released because BAI failed to submit the required proposal within the stipulated deadline.
According to SAI guidelines, national sports federations must submit tournament funding proposals at least 30 days in advance, including details of the participating athletes.
The deadline had previously been revised from 90 and 60 days after federations raised concerns about completing the process so far ahead of tournaments.
SAI maintained that the revised 30-day requirement applied to all federations and that the necessary documents had not been received on time.
However, BAI sources separately told myKhel that they were unaware of the revised guidelines and were seeking clarification.
Reports also indicated that funding for upcoming tournaments would resume, but players would not be reimbursed for expenses incurred during the European campaign.
The situation has highlighted concerns about administrative coordination and the financial challenges athletes can face when institutional support is delayed.
For Sindhu, the uncertainty did not change her approach to the competition. The Olympic medallist maintained that improving her performance remained her main priority.
Although the campaign ended with major achievements for Indian badminton, the funding dispute has raised an important question about whether administrative delays should leave athletes responsible for significant international competition expenses.
The victories of Sindhu and Lakshya Sen provided a positive ending to a difficult tour, while drawing renewed attention to the need for timely financial assistance and better coordination between sports authorities and national federations.
