PBL 2018: “Men’s doubles will be our strong point,” says North Eastern Warriors’ Ajay Jayaram

The North Eastern Warriors will be making their first appearance at the ongoing Premier Badminton League (PBL) 2018 on Sunday when they take on the Carolina Marin-led Hyderabad Hunters in Guwahati.

With the Olympic champion in their ranks, the Hunters will certainly be the favourites on paper, but North Eastern Warriors’ star shuttler, Ajay Jayaram is pretty optimistic about his team’s overall chances in this league. In an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, the former World No. 13 pointed out that having the Korean pair of Kim Gi Jung and Shin Baek Cheol is a perk for the debutants and they can certainly be the difference-maker.

Cheol is retired now but was ranked as high as No. 3 in the world in 2015. Kim’s record is not too shabby either and he climbed to a career-high World No. 2 last year.

“It is going to be a tough tournament. Every team has big names but if we look at our team, then I must say that our team is a pretty well-balanced one,” said Jayaram.

“A lot would depend on the men’s singles. How well Tzu Wei Wang and I perform is important, because I think the men’s doubles would be our strong point.

“If the Koreans can win it and if we can also win the mixed doubles, and maybe the women’s singles, then we can have an advantage. It just depends on which day who actually performs,” he explained.

The PBL, which has increased the popularity of badminton in India, has added two new teams this time, taking the total number of teams to eight. Noting that it has made the competition tougher, the former India No. 1 expressed his joy at seeing badminton spreading to all corners of the country.

“Yes, of course, the competition is tougher now. In the past couple of editions, you had to be in the top 4 among six teams. Now you have to be in the top 4 among eight teams,” Jayaram pointed out.

“And I am very happy that it has expanded. PBL has done wonders in India, in the sense that it has brought the game at a household level. People are watching with family and friends.”

The Mumbai ace was particularly pleased with the fact that the north-east has now got their own team to root for. Acknowledging that the region churns out a bevy of talent in juniors, he hoped that the PBL expansion will help them take the leap and make their mark in seniors.

“I am extremely happy that the north-east now has a team. It is heartening to see how much enthusiasm people in Guwahati have for badminton,” he said.

“In this region, we haven’t had too much of badminton before. In my younger days, I have seen a lot of talent from this part of the country, but sadly they couldn’t do much in the senior level. The PBL would definitely help the north-east take the next step,” he hoped.

Interestingly, in the past two editions, the team which Jayaram had been a part of, has made it to the final. In Season 1, Jayaram guided the Delhi Acers to the title. In the last season, the Mumbai Rockets weren’t that successful and succumbed to a narrow 3-4 defeat to the Chennai Smashers in a thrilling final.

On being quizzed if he is looking forward to a hat-trick, the 30-year-old simply said that he would just like to go out there and enjoy.

“I have been a part of two great teams in the last two editions. I wouldn’t really hold too much in the back of my mind about those results. It’s a new team and a new season. The goal would be to go out there and enjoy myself like I have in the past,” he signed off.