NEW DELHI/KOZHIKODE, July 23: The Badminton Association of India (BAI) is planning one last-ditch effort at trying to bring about a rapproachment between the chastened national body and the new breakaway group -- set up by Prakash Padukone -- at its Executive Meeting in New Delhi on August 3, during the Air-India Open, season's first event on the BAI calendar.

The BAI, interestingly, has invited Punch Gunalan, former All England doubles champion and currently president of the Asian Badminton Confederation (ABC). Gunalan, who had visited India during the Grand Prix earlier this season is expected to have a meeting with Padukone and help work out a solution to the badminton impasse. The BAI has already invited Padukone for the meeting.

It is learnt that Padukone, who is being backed by a lot of players and funded by sponsors, BPL, for whom he runs the academy, is however not keen on joining the BAI. He may, however, not be averse to the idea of a new banner, which will also be affiliated with the IBF.

In the present context, it is difficult to visualise International Badminton Federation (IBF) de-recognising the BAI and giving the same status to the newly-formed IBC.

However, if the BAI itself suggested to the IBF that it would like its registered name to be changed to something else possibly the Indian Badminton Association it is possible that the IBF will take cognizance of it. The BAI is also willing to make Padukone some kind of an Executive President, who while working under the current President, VK Verma, will function independently in the matter of selecting teams, planning foreign tours for the national side and be in-charge of all coaching and developmental programmes.

The question at the end of it is, if Padukone is made in in-charge of all coaching and developmental programmes, where does it leave TPS Puri. It is learnt that among the people Padukone wants out of the BAI is Puri, who has been a part and parcel of Indian badminton for almost two and a half decades.

Meanwhile in Kozhikode, Kerala Badminton (Shuttle) Association (KBSA) secretary S Muralidharan, also the BAI senior vice-president, said, ``To resolve the differences between BAI and IBC, we have decided to hold a BAI executive committee meeting in New Delhi on August 3.''

Muralidharan who has kept in touch with the IBC said, ``If there is a parallel body to the parent body, those who will suffer most are the younger players.''

When he was told that the IBC calendar was more attractive to the players as there was handsome prize money at stake, he said, ``they may get good prize money, but only a BAI certificate will give them recognition at the international level as only BAI is affiliated to the international body. Moreover, you must have been seen that the prize money offered in the new BAI calendar is not bad either.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.