IBL 2015 to be held in April

IBL 2015 to be held in April
The much-delayed second edition of the Indian Badminton League is now expected to take place in April 2015 after event organisers Sporty Solutionz and Badminton Association of India (BAI) finally managed to sort out their differences.

The major bone of contention was the Rs 50 crore bank guarantee that BAI had asked from Sporty Solutions following the delay in payment to the players in the first edition.

BAI had been justifying their demand saying the sport’s governing body had to protect their interests against any financial liabilities in case of disputes while Sporty Solutionz were insisting that they were the one taking the financial risk in organising the event.

It is learnt that Union Sports Minister Sarbanada Sonowal finally played mediator between the two parties and asked them to sort out the differences when the subject was brought to his notice by some former players and wellwishers who were keen that the IBL took place.

After prolonged negotiations, Sporty Solutionz has finally accepted to provide a bank guarantee of Rs 9 crore to safeguard the interest of the players paving the way for the second edition, which is now likely to be held from April 12 to May 2, 2015. It is worth noting that the inaugural edition in 2013 had caught the imagination of badminton fans at home and abroad and many foreign players were keen to join the bandwagon from the second edition. But a busy international schedule - due to the Commonwealth and Asian Games - meant that the tournament could not be held last year.

With the Badminton World Federation (BWF) introducing a two-month break in their Super Series circuit in January and February from 2015, the organisers were pushing for dates from January 10 to February 1 but they would have clashed with the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold meet to be held in Lucknow from January 20.

“They had come up with a proposal for January but it wasn’t possible to shift the Syed Modi Open so late and hence April is the best possible period to hold the event,” said a BAI source.

The organisers also toyed with the idea of giving the tournament a break for the duration of the Syed Modi Open but neither the players nor the franchisees were in favour of such an arrangement.
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