On 22 July, 2013, like everyone in the badminton world, Mathias Boe too had his eyes fixed on the Indian Badminton league (IBl) auctions. Being one of the best doubles players in the world and the winner of silver medal in the 2012 london Olympics with his partner Carsten Mogensen, Boe was confident of getting picked for a handsome amount. The only thing that he was curious to know was which team he would be in.
He got a shock of his life when he came to know that he went unsold in the auctions. He had no takers. Interestingly, Mogensen was bought by Banga Beats, the Bangalore franchise, at a base price of $50,000. For someone who “almost left the national team” to be a part of the IBl, it was heartbreak. Boe, in exasperation, tweeted that he would “never set foot on Indian soil” after the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup next year, for which he had already committed.
Boe wasn’t the only high-profile player who went unsold during the auctions. There were the likes of Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana (ranked fourth), Japan’s Kenechi Tago (ranked fifth), Indonesia’s Tommy Sugiarto (ranked eighth) and Sony Dwi Kuncoro (ranked 10th) in the list of ignored players. But destiny had other plans. Within days of the unfortunate snub and the vow, Boe was offered a contract by Awadhe Warriors, who were seeking a replacement for Thai shuttler Maneepong Jongjit, who was banned by the Badminton World Federation for fighting on the court. Though his base price was slashed to half ($50,000 to $25,000), Boe was happy to be where his heart was. “Yeah, my base price was reduced but it’s not about money for me. I have enough money,” Boe said. “Of course, I won’t go for free because it’s my job. But money is not the most important thing. The important thing is that this event becomes successful; the important thing is that I play well for my team. I have a good feeling about the time I spent in India.
“I thought I had a lot to offer on and off the court in a team. I have played a lot in team events and have done it for many years, for many teams. So, the emotions were flying very high but it’s in the past now. I am very delighted to be in my team and I support the event as I have said from day one,” he added. Now that he is here, Boe wants this tournament to be a big success and for that, he emphasized, the media has a significant role to play. like cricket in India, football takes away all the attention in Denmark and Boe feels that there is a need to bring the spotlight on other sports as well.
“In India, the media shows just one thing and people follow just that — cricket. In Denmark, it’s always just football. Even though the level of the Danish league is very low, people watch it anyway because that’s the only thing that is on. Then you have some of the best swimmers in the world but you never see swimming. Badminton is quite big, so you still see that. But handball and football grab most of the attention in Denmark,” he said with a sad expression on his face.
Coming back to India, he added, “I think it’s really good to show other sports and with big stars like Saina, you can sell it out there to public.” The 33-year-old Boe, who is partnering Indonesia’s Markis Kido in the IBl, also urged star players from across the world to support this event. He feels that without the big players IBl won’t be able to survive. “It’s not only about the tournament points but also love for the game and to celebrate it in a different way than the usual tournaments.
“I think it’s very good that people try to do different things for the sport and that’s by far the reason I am here to support this event. “It’s a new thing and a new experience and the best players should support it. Without the best players it’ll be difficult to make it a success,” he said. Boe and Carsten, currently the world No 3 pair, twice came close to winning gold medals in major events, but had to be content with the silver. After the london Olympics, they finished second in the World Championships in Guangzhou recently. “It is a bit sad when you reach so close but lose in the end. We have twice missed the gold medal, but at the same time you are proud to win a medal for your country,” he said.