IBL: Gopichand says people need to 'move on' after Jwala, Ashwini row

FILE PHOTO: Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa

The IBL auctions were gripped in controversy after star players Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa saw their base prices halved on the day of the auction, much to both players’ chagrin.

However, both have stated that they will still participate in the tournament despite this incident.

Speaking on the subject, India’s chief badminton coach, Pullela Gopichand, has said that the matter needs to be put to bed, and people need to move on for the sake of the tournament and the game.

“With due respect to Jwala and Ashwini, I think we need to move on. I hope this issue is resolved. IBL is a revolutionary event in the world of badminton. It is benefiting many players and will improve the popularity of the game in the country. I thank BAI president Akhilesh Das Gupta for taking the initiative to organise this event,” Gopichand told Times of India.

When asked why the base prices were reduced, Gopichand admitted that he didn’t know the reason.

“But the fact is that players are extremely happy with the money they are going to get. IBL is something which will do a lot of good for the present and future players. We need to welcome it and take it in a positive direction,” he added.

When asked about Saina Nehwal, the former All England winner had this to say:

“She is a role model for the young players. I think going into the tournament Saina will be one of the favourites to win a medal and she has a good chance of doing it and lets see how she progresses.

“She has been working hard…the last three four weeks have been good for her, and I do expect her to do well.”