While athletes from other disciplines strive for international exposure to gain valuable experience, the country's badminton players squander such opportunities despite regular chances to compete in international tournaments. However, this is largely due to a lack of necessary groundwork by the Bangladesh Badminton Federation (BBF).

As the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge (YBIC) 2024 begins today, participants from 13 nations converge at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium in Dhaka. However, the country's shuttlers are surprisingly entering the ranking tournament without optimum preparation.

Since 2011, the BBF has hosted 11 international tournaments, thanks to former general secretary Mahabubur Rob, a former national player, who persuaded the World Badminton Federation (WBF) to approve the YBIC tournament. The goal was to address the lack of international exposure for Bangladesh's shuttlers.

The game's local governing body, however, could hardly capitalise on the benefits of hosting the YBIC due to the lack of adequate training around this international tournament every year.

"Individually, I have tried to prepare myself as much as possible, though you can't give your maximum effort in such individual training even if you want to," said Urmi Akter -- the country's top female shuttler, who has been participating in the YBIC since 2016 -- adding that there was also a gap in training because of her participation in two international tournaments in India.

"To be honest, you need proper preparation to take part in such a tournament, but we don't have such facilities, nor has there been a national camp, and it is always difficult to gear up individually," informed Urmi, who won three gold and one silver medals in women's doubles and mixed doubles in the Junior Bangladesh International Series in the past, but she has never won a medal in a senior event.

Former national player-turned-coach Mostafa Javed also expressed the sorry state of affairs.

"The shuttlers did not get any training ahead of the tournament, but I think they would have had a good opportunity to perform well if they were given at least a one-month preparation," said Javed, who participated in the YBIC three times in the past, further informed that they had received two to three months of training under a foreign coach during their playing career, but he had no idea why the federation did not arrange any training this time.

BBF general secretary Alamgir Hossain said that financial constraints and the absence of officials were the main reasons for the absence of a preparatory camp, as only seven to eight officials are running the federation since the political changeover on August 5.

Compounding the challenges for Bangladesh, the junior shuttlers from India and Indonesia told journalists yesterday that they had come to compete in the tournament on the back of five to six months of preparation, with their respective federations and individual sponsors assisting them financially.

"There is no big difference between Bangladeshi shuttlers and Indonesian and Indian shuttlers, but they are ahead of us because they have been playing a lot of international tournaments and have gained experience," Urmi said.

"We also need to participate in international tournaments beyond our boundaries; then our rankings will improve, and we will also be able to fight against them."

Urmi further opined that there is no alternative to playing international tournaments to develop themselves, but they need financial help from the federation as well as corporate houses.

The BBF general secretary, however, informed that Bangladesh's shuttlers started participating in overseas tournaments last year as a couple of individuals and the federation is trying to provide financial help to the shuttlers.

As things stand, without long-term planning and sustained support, the country's badminton future remains uncertain.