"The recent result has motivated us to play further"- Ajay Mathur aims at winning the national and world championships
Having played badminton since his junior days, Ajay Mathur started competing once again in 2020. Just three years later, Mathur stood on the podium at the prestigious Badminton Asia Senior Open 2023, held in Vietnam, clinching his first international medal in the process.
Amidst his dual role as the Deputy General Manager at SIDBI, the Indian shuttler remains focused on his pursuit of glory, targeting upcoming national championships as well as aiming for podium finishes at the global and Asian championships.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Ajay Mathur reflects on his remarkable journey at the Badminton Asia Senior Open 2023. He also sheds light on the challenges faced by veteran shuttlers like himself, emphasizing the need for increased recognition and support.
Q: How was your experience at the Badminton Asia Senior Open 2023? Did you go with a plan or work on something beforehand, and did it pan out according to what you hoped?
Ajay Mathur: The experience was satisfying as we entered the 50+ doubles final and won a silver medal for the first time in any international tournament. We decided to take part in the Asian Badminton Championship a bit late, and there were some visa issues. We arrived in Da Nang, Vietnam, on December 12, 2023, at around 2 PM instead of December 10, 2023, as planned, and played our league match on the same day after 2 hours.
Q: How did you take up the sport competitively? Did you play at the junior and senior levels, or was it something you took up more recently?
Ajay Mathur: I have been playing badminton since 1986, when I was 14 years old, and I have been champion in sub-junior, junior, and men’s (categories) in singles and doubles in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.).
I represented UP State in various senior badminton national championships from 1996 to 2003 and played with my contemporaries, viz., Abhinn Shyam Gupta, Sushant Saxena, P Gopichand, etc. I stopped playing after that and concentrated on my job as a manager at the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). I again started playing in the master badminton championship in 2017.
Q: How did you and Rajesh Singh pair up?
Ajay Mathur: I happened to be transferred to Ahmedabad in 2018, where I met Rajesh, who also stopped playing badminton. We have known each other since our U.P. days, when he also used to play at the state level. We decided to play together in the master tournament and played our first national at Goa in 2020, where we got selected for the World Master Badminton Championship, which was held in Spain in 2021.
Q: You have also participated in the World Championships; how was your experience there? How much is the difference in level between Indian athletes and the rest of the world?
Ajay Mathur: In the world championship, there was tough competition as good players from many countries participated in the tournament, and we lost in the pre-quarters. This was the first Asian Master Badminton Championship where eateries were fewer and it was less hectic. There is a lot of difference in the fitness level of world players and Indian players, which is also the case in the men’s category in other sports. In other countries, players are very fit, and they do a lot of preparation for tournaments.
Q: With playing, you are also working; how do you schedule work and training commitments?
Ajay Mathur: I am working at the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) as Deputy General Manager, and I am the branch in charge of the SIDBI Vadodara office. SIDBI is engaged in the promotion, financing, and development of MSME in the country and is under the Ministry of Finance. In the morning, I try to devote time to fitness, and in the evening, I play matches in the club at least 4–5 days a week.
Q: What are the plans for the future in terms of badminton?
Ajay Mathur: The recent result has motivated us to play further, win the national championship this year, and win some medals in the coming world championship and Asian championship for the country. We have chalked out a plan for the same in terms of our fitness level and skill upgradation.
Q: What keeps you motivated to continue to train and play?
Ajay Mathur: I have been addicted to playing badminton, and my desire to win medals at the national and international levels keeps us motivated.
Q: How has the support of BAI been? We always read about junior and senior athletes getting help and recognition, but there isn’t much covered about the 50+ and other veteran categories.
Ajay Mathur: The support of BAI is limited to forwarding our entries to BWF tournaments (world and Asian) only and getting the national tournament organized. We don’t get financial or non-financial (training, etc.) help from them. There is no recognition either from BAI or from the government of India, even if any player wins medals at the international level on its own. We hope that BAI and the Government of India will also give importance to masters players and give due recognition to them financially and non-financially.
Q: Have you faced any challenges?
Ajay Mathur: No. My employer, i.e., SIDBI, also supports me in pursuing badminton and provides financial support for training and participating in different badminton tournaments at national and international levels. SIDBI has chalked out a sports policy for its employees and their wards. SIDBI has also supported many athletes and academies in different games financially.
Q: Is there any change you would like to see in any aspect that might help further improve Indian badminton, especially at the veteran level?
Ajay Mathur: The efforts and achievements of master players should be recognized by BAI and also by the government of India, and they should also be provided financial and non-financial help as is provided to general athletes, as it would motivate others to take up badminton and other sports, which would help in cultivating sporting culture in India, which is the aim of the government, and would also help in the economic development of the country.