Coach Sagar Chopda, based at the Bangalore Centre of Excellence where both Ayush Shetty and PV Sindhu train, expressed his frustration regarding the ongoing Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, remarking, “There’s nothing you can do about it,” as issues with questionable line calls plagued the matches. The first three days of the tournament have been particularly challenging for Indian players, with several crucial points being affected by poor officiating.
On Thursday, HS Prannoy experienced two significant setbacks during the second set of his match. While Weng Hong Yang ultimately secured the victory, Prannoy’s ability to mount comebacks is well-known and should not be underestimated.
Prannoy took to Twitter to express his disbelief over the absence of a Hawk-Eye system on Court 2, especially for a Super 1000 event. Despite his previous success at the continental championships, which includes a bronze medal, he criticized the amateurish nature of many Asian competitions. He lamented the lack of even a streaming service for the event, noting that crucial technology like the decision review system was unavailable during his match against Yang.
In this match, Prannoy lost with scores of 21-12, 21-19. A key moment occurred when a shuttle landed in the back left corner, only to be initially called in before the decision was overturned in favor of the local player after Weng objected. After Prannoy managed to gain momentum, the match was further disrupted by lengthy delays in Weng’s service, which went unaddressed by the officials.
Following the match, a visibly upset Prannoy exchanged a curt handshake with his opponent as he departed the court.
Earlier in the tournament, Sindhu faced her own challenges. Despite repeatedly indicating that a shuttle had drifted out, her appeals for a review were met with silence, and the chair umpire did not acknowledge her requests. Her opponent, Wang Zhi Yi from China, benefitted from these unchallenged calls.
On Wednesday, Ayush Shetty encountered multiple contentious calls during his match against Li Shifeng, with at least three controversial decisions either going against him or being overturned to favor the local player. Despite these challenges, Ayush managed to secure a win, although he was clearly frustrated by the officiating.
Chopda commented on the situation, stating, “The overruled calls were hilarious. It’s known to happen nationally, but seeing it at this level is unbelievable.” He emphasized that technology exists to address these issues and that they often arise at critical moments in matches.
At one point, Ayush had a commanding lead of 18-13 before a dubious line call shifted the momentum, narrowing his advantage to 18-16, yet he ultimately prevailed. In contrast, Sindhu found herself at the mercy of the linespersons and chair umpire during a critical point in her match, leading to a loss with scores of 21-18, 21-8.
