Former India coach and Olympian U. Vimal Kumar joins the podcast to discuss India’s Thomas Cup campaign, player recognition, squad depth concerns and badminton’s new scoring system.

India returned from the Thomas Cup in Denmark with a bronze medal, its second podium finish in the last three editions of badminton’s premier men’s team event. But despite another strong campaign on the world stage, the achievement received surprisingly little attention back home, prompting sharp reactions from players about the lack of recognition for their sporting achievements in India.

In this episode of In Focus, we look into India’s Thomas Cup run, the rise of young talent like Ayush Shetty, concerns over squad depth in singles and doubles, and the controversy surrounding the semifinal match order against France.

We also discuss the Badminton World Federation’s decision to introduce the new 15-point scoring system from 2027 and whether it is actually good for the sport.

Host: Reuben Joe Joseph

Guest: U. Vimal Kumar, former India chief coach and Olympian

Producer: Shiksha Jural

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