August 24, 2025 • 19 mins
This week, The Indian Express' badminton correspondent Shivani Naik joins hosts Mihir Vasavda and Amit Kamath to talk about why a change in taste palette in China is making badminton academy owners in India sweat. Come for Shivani's insights and stay for Mihir's impassioned plea to Indians to eat more duck meat in "national interest".
Further reading: https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/badminton/shuttlecock-prices-increase-spiral-india-stocks-china-pork-duck-10180007/
Produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
Further reading: https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/badminton/shuttlecock-prices-increase-spiral-india-stocks-china-pork-duck-10180007/
Produced by Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
The Chinese changed what they ate and it has completely
threw one sport into a tail spin. I, to be honest,
didn't read this story that China's shift from foul to
port has created a chaos in the badminton world, especially
when it taped the shuttlecock prices. And unless you are
(00:25):
going to read this, I strongly suggest you stay until
the end of his podcast to know exactly how one
country's dietary habits have started affecting many other countries and
how they played. Welcome to Game Time, Ahmed Kamath Ezier
with us today and since we are talking badminton and
Olympic sports, Chiuanni Nike joins us to who's written this
(00:47):
magnificent story, whose link we'll share in the show notes.
Do read that Shiwani will come straight to you. Why
don't you tell us China ka Kanikia the change keito badminton, Micahua.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
They just gave up on ducks, man. I mean, that
is what the French media is reporting, and it's very
difficult to believe because duck meat is I mean, it's exquisite.
Not that I've had it, but I've heard of it
and it is quite a staple, So for an entire
country to sort of switch from one base protein and
(01:22):
move on to park which might be equally tasty, but
it's a newish thing for them as a staple, and
that affecting a spot is an absolutely crazy sort of situation.
I think the French for the first to sort of
notice it and flag it because they kind of sensed
(01:42):
the rising shuttle prices when they were importing the shuttles.
But it's safe to believe that there is a scarcity
of the raw material of duck feathers or geese feathers,
and the entire sort of production has kind of gone down,
which is leading to a shortage of shuttle.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
And it's almost like the butterfly effect where one country
changes its dietary habits and then another country suddenly has
to pay more for shuttle cocks. Right, and it is
just for our listeners. Tell us why this reliance on
shuttlecocks from China.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
First of all, they are the majority manufacturers of a
lot of sports equipments, which includes shuttle cocks, So ninety
of shuttles get made in China. Even if it's like
your Nex, which is a Japanese company, it is a
Japanese corporation, but the entire manufacturing happens in China also
because there was this entire I mean, ducks so are
(02:43):
very very prominent in China. They probably still are. So
it was the raw material was available. They were raised
for meat, they were not raised for the shuttles, but
there was a byproduct which could easily be sort of
channeled into sport. So that is what used to happen.
And with the growing sort of affinity for pork and
(03:06):
duck not being very popular, it is affecting this absolutely
side business of you know, making shuttles out of those feathers.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
And it's like one of those restaurant tricks, right you
just take everything that's left over and just cook up
another separate dish out of it, and you additionally one
but shuttlecocks puts a crossover. But it's interesting, right I
mean when you say, I mean you mentioned in your
story that duck feathers are used to make cheaper shuttles
(03:36):
than theese feathers, a reserve for the elite ones. Just
how does it end up affecting someone, say far off
at the go Pitchen Academy in Hyderabad. Something happening far
away from where they are, How does this really impact anyone?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So all academies, be it the elite ones or even
the beginner's academies, the average academy depends on stocking shuttlecocks.
So let's say one session for one player, or let's
say a batch of forty players through a month, they
will go through about five hundred six hundred shuttles. So
(04:10):
if there is a shortage or if the costs of
the shuttle tubes increase, so one tube has about twelve
shuttles in it, and we're talking about like a one
hundred or one hundred and fifty percent increase. By the
end of twenty twenty five, the entire operating costs of
the academy go up. It will at some point get
translated into the fees that players have to sort of
(04:34):
pay for coaching, and that is the biggest fear that year.
That becomes very prohibitive, both for people are running the
academy as well as those who are training there. It's
not immediately impacted right now, it's not hit as yet,
but that is the fear in the coming months.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
I mean, that's what it is, right, I mean, see
for example, the high quality shuttles, which the twelve please
tub if it costs like you mentioned, twenty seven hundred
right now, it might go up to three thousand by
the end of this year, which is what nearly ten
percent increement in rates, which is a lot when you
look at when you say that one shutler uses pin
(05:12):
and it shuttle cocks a month, that's a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Yeah, at the same time last year that tube would
cost you twelve hundred. So it's gone from twelve hundred
to three thousand, let's say twenty seven hundred right now
right this moment. Also, the costs are very they're going
up and down as well. It's not exactly steady. The
availability is also not very steady. So there are academies
(05:38):
in Chennai, in Bangalore, even in Hyderabad where and I'm
sure it's the same case up north where there isn't
an assured supply of shuttles. So that puts people on
the edge even more. You know, So even if they
are willing to pay, the shuttles are just not coming
through in terms of the imports, so there is that
uncertainty as well. And yeah, it has that triple effect
(06:01):
of just putting people on the edge.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Ian just also, maybe you could talk about why specifically
duck feathers or why geese feathers as compared to let's say,
symnthetic shuttle coops, right, because why are we so reliant
on using these particular materials.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Right, So they've actually tried cloning that material with nylon,
with synthetics and they just don't get that same effect. Now,
the thing that a duck feather or a goose feather
is that it has a longer stem, So there is
a stem part of it, so that stem forms the
floral right that floor it. So those kind of stay intact.
(06:44):
They can't really be pulped down. But they are also
longer stems and the actual the linings of the feather
they don't really crumble, you know, they don't twilt. So
that makes duck in geese feathers extremely special for badminton.
They don't lose shape if we have to compare it
to let's say a cricket ball. Also, there is the
(07:05):
aerodynamic to the shuttle. That's an artificial shuttle. It travels
very fast. So what happens is it is okay for smashing,
it is great for drives, but when you have those
deft play at the net that will completely go out
of the window. If it's an artificial shuttle, like even
a plastic shuttle, it travels to way too fast. It
(07:27):
is extremely difficult to control. And there are other feathers
which just sort of you know, it makes the shuttle warbbly,
They wilt and you have to change the shuttle very fast.
So this is a very unique thing with duck feathers
that they hold shape, they do not wilt, and they
have those long stems. So the shuttle making is quite
(07:49):
the art and it requires this very very specific raw material.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Unfortunately, to any of you know, in your Badminton column
this week, you gave us a fascinating glimpse into a
Connor Plywood businessman's entrepreneurial ambitions to try and make shuttle
cocks in.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
India with duck feathers. Can you maybe talk about that
little segue and why it kind of did not take off?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Yes, I think it was a great experiment about thirty
five forty years back. And Kerla eats a lot of
duck is what I sort of discovered through this story.
Duck meat is something that they say we talked about
thirty five to forty years back, right, which is when
the Chinese was still sort of you know, they were
not the global factory that they are right now. The
(08:40):
Onyx wasn't entirely or even leaning was probably still in
its inception. Onyx wasn't entirely relying on the Chinese factories
juggernaut either. So India sort of got on to the
whole thing of let's make shuttles. And he was this
very clever businessman who was an engine He had the technology,
(09:02):
so he started making shuttles along with prakn and Wickrem
Singh who is a player from Delhi from a national
champion as well. Now, they attempted to make the shuttles,
but the way things spanned out in China and the
way shuttle making expanded in China, this ended up being
a very sort of a boutique experiment. So the shuttle
(09:25):
quality was okay, but the markets got flooded with cheaper options,
which were important, and then they just got priced out.
So we still have shuttles getting made in India. At Ulubaria,
which is in West Bengal. It's like how to not
a suburb but an industrial city in that municipality over there,
(09:47):
and Bengal also consumes duck meat. In fact, a lot
of duck meat is imported by China from Bangladesh, so
that entire area is known for rearing duck. But the
old area shuttles. And I think there are half dozen
of Indian manufacturers, but the quality isn't that great. The
(10:08):
technology has really gone forward or you know, really advanced
with your X and leaning, and the Indian manufacturers just
can't keep up.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And yours and leaning both are anyway based in China,
I think. So that's another issue. So to say if
India were to start manufacturing so only is crazy because
in so many other sports, India and Pakistan are in
a way leading manufacturers. Right you talk about footballs, you
about hockey, even cricket to a certain extent, the kind
(10:38):
of cricket bats and balls that are manufactured India does
have quite a big role to play. That beats you.
Because again badminton, there is a big market in India.
And if we were to say, for example, if we
walk up to an average club anywhere in Mumbai or
Delhi or anywhere in the country, bangload, How different is
the normal feather shuttle cock compared to the ones we
(11:02):
are talking with duck feathers or these feathers, Like is
the difference that massive or is it just you know,
something that is required at elite level, Like I'm just
trying to think of keeper alternates here.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
So there are the hybrid shuttles as well, which is
like a mix of both. But yeah, let's say at
a very beginner's level or you have a particular kind
of shuttle, which is so there are academies which still
start out the players only on artificial shuttles like you know,
plastics in nylon or other clones of feather. But even
(11:39):
within the feather shuttles there is a lower grade sort
of acptr is the name which gets used. The base
level for the elite shuttle is something called AS two
and it goes up to AS forty, you know, so
that is the entire wide range AS fort which will
get used at the World Championships. So there are various
(11:59):
levels of shuttles and the entire quality or the distinction
is made based on again you know the quality of
the feathers and how much can they retain that shape,
you know, how long they can actually stay in play.
So there are absolute different varieties and the cost is
also based on that, but it's a difficult manufacturing process
(12:22):
as well. So the technology keeps improving, but it's difficult
to get a shuttle, right.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Junny, because everybody loves their conspiracy theory. Let me just
toss one up in the air and you can either
smash it or let it fall in the background. You know,
what are the chances that maybe this is like a
artificially created supply issue because the Chinese want to monopolize
their hold over something that is very basic, something that
(12:51):
gives an edge to shuttlers. Maybe they're buying out all
the shuttles duck feathers, duck feathers shuttles to ensure the
Chinese shuttlers are still up there.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
No, there's definitely whispers about you on them holding shuttles
because you know, s talking up on their own shuttles,
because that is also leading to the entire scarcity of
the supply. Why they would suddenly start doing it is
difficult to sort of guess, but I mean on the
(13:22):
panel track, they are sort of doing well in the
last one and a half year that is when the
whole thing started, But it doesn't really make business sense. Also,
you have to understand that you Onyx is a Japanese corporation, right,
so we're talking about a multinational sort of process. So
it will be difficult for China to do what they
(13:42):
are doing if that is what they are trying to do,
but you can't really rule it out. Also, the quality
of shuttles. I mean, this is what a couple of
coaches from Chennight told me that the quality of shuttles
that they are getting, it just feels artificial. So even
the shuttles that are coming in as as feather shuttles,
feel artificial. So there is that quality issue as well.
(14:05):
So yeah, I mean, is it China playing these tricks?
Difficult to prove or difficult to say, but there is
definitely an issue there.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Maybe national interests, We in India should start eating ducks
and see if you can also up our manufacturing game.
You imagine the vegetarian in the room is talking about
eating ducks and national interest that's.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
The most obvious. I mean, India has the capacity for sure,
India will need the technology to kind of nail that.
I mean, Cavilo, why not like why? I'm I'm sure
it's very tasty and I mean I've looked up a
few French recipes and not that I eat meat, but
I think it's might not be that different from chicken.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Might be tastier, Yeah, quite exquisite, I must say.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Yeah, I can completely imagine, like you know, back in
the day they used to have this national egg Council
whatever that I can totally see the Indian government getting
some of the superstars to force you to eat ducks.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
No, but yeah, that is an issue. You can't really
raise ducks only for their feathers, so it has to
be for meat. So yeah, I think we should make
it a national mission to have duck meat.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Absolutely. I think before we go after the poor ducks
roaming around Phelly in India, we should segue very abruptly
into the World Championships which start on Monday. And you
mentioned the shuttles that use their as forty, not that
I know what it means. And what's the difference between
two and a S forty fast slower? What are they like?
Speaker 2 (15:42):
No, the shuttles, I mean it depends on that particular
batch very frankly. But the conditions because it is the
Olympic venue, right, one thing is clear that if conditions
are slow, then I think it will be a tough
first round match for lukshus In against Shiuchi. If the
conditions are faster than I think, that might just suit him.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
It's a very tricky draw, right, I mean you were
saying before we started recording, that's Indo if she does well,
big if there she has a recent draw, very interesting
one for Satikan Chira. They will run into the pair
that defeated them at the quarterfinals again at the QUARTERFINALI
that far. How do you see them progressing this time?
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (16:24):
The game is really evolved, okay. They are capable of
matching the Malaysians and the Chinese as well. They both
have a very big I mean, they have the power
game right, so they can literally sort of turn it
on here at any point, and they've beaten both these
pairings also, especially the Malaysians, they aren't exactly in great
(16:47):
form themselves, so I would think that it will be
like a fifty to fifty match, But they have the
Chinese before that, and the Chinese they will be gunning
for their first world title, so you know they will
be extremely more wait it. But so are the Indians.
I think the game is in a good place. It's
progressing well, and the expectations are not as high as
(17:09):
the Olympics, so that is a bit of a sobering
thing for the Indians. But that's good for them. You know,
they can go in and play without that whole pressure.
They can play like they usually do.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
But then, what's the bigger picture should that we should
look at? I mean, I know this is one of
those passing years where there is not a major thing
happening in the background or something to really aim for.
Of course, World Championships are the World Championships, but like
Southwick had said at the end of twenty twenty four,
that this should be an experimental year for them. So
(17:42):
what's the bigger picture from an Indian point of view
heading into these World Championships?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
You know, for both Satwika as well as Luxure, I
think if they have to have like a bad World Championship,
let it be this one. I'm not saying that they will.
I still think that Luxurer probably you know, playing shut
in the first is far better than playing him later
with the metal pressure hanging on his head. So I
still think it's the best of the worst case scenarios,
(18:07):
and so that's how it will be. But so even
if they sort of lose. This is not a year
where they where everyone needs to kind of stress over
Oh my god. You know what happened Next year is
when the Asian Games are, So I think the whole
thing should be geared towards the Asian Games because those
are the big medals. But I think if they're looking
(18:28):
at the double sparing as well as luxure, I think
it's just that the World Championships need to get the
best out of you. It's good for their confidence. But
even if things don't really go their way, it won't
be a disaster, is what I think.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
I think that's a nice sobering note to end this podcast.
World Championship season actually gets under way with this week.
There there's one almost every week happening and to count
the two Asia clubs, the cricket and hockey one the
next month and is going to be quite stunning beyond
that too the second half of this year. So to
(19:05):
keep visiting Indian Express dot com to read and to
the Express Pots podcast to listen to us Kiani thanks
as always for all the duck knowledge that you've provided
us and the World Championships Review, Ahmit and our production team.
As always, we will be back with a new episode
of Game Time next week. Thanks for listening.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
You were listening to Express Sports by the Indian Express.
This week's show was edited and mixed by Sohawar and
produced by Mesha shang Bargev. If you like the show,
then do subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also recommend the show to someone you think
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(19:52):
Indian Express dot com.
The Chinese changed what they ate and it has completely
threw one sport into a tail spin. I, to be honest,
didn't read this story that China's shift from foul to
port has created a chaos in the badminton world, especially
when it taped the shuttlecock prices. And unless you are
(00:25):
going to read this, I strongly suggest you stay until
the end of his podcast to know exactly how one
country's dietary habits have started affecting many other countries and
how they played. Welcome to Game Time, Ahmed Kamath Ezier
with us today and since we are talking badminton and
Olympic sports, Chiuanni Nike joins us to who's written this
(00:47):
magnificent story, whose link we'll share in the show notes.
Do read that Shiwani will come straight to you. Why
don't you tell us China ka Kanikia the change keito badminton, Micahua.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
They just gave up on ducks, man. I mean, that
is what the French media is reporting, and it's very
difficult to believe because duck meat is I mean, it's exquisite.
Not that I've had it, but I've heard of it
and it is quite a staple, So for an entire
country to sort of switch from one base protein and
(01:22):
move on to park which might be equally tasty, but
it's a newish thing for them as a staple, and
that affecting a spot is an absolutely crazy sort of situation.
I think the French for the first to sort of
notice it and flag it because they kind of sensed
(01:42):
the rising shuttle prices when they were importing the shuttles.
But it's safe to believe that there is a scarcity
of the raw material of duck feathers or geese feathers,
and the entire sort of production has kind of gone down,
which is leading to a shortage of shuttle.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
And it's almost like the butterfly effect where one country
changes its dietary habits and then another country suddenly has
to pay more for shuttle cocks. Right, and it is
just for our listeners. Tell us why this reliance on
shuttlecocks from China.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
First of all, they are the majority manufacturers of a
lot of sports equipments, which includes shuttle cocks, So ninety
of shuttles get made in China. Even if it's like
your Nex, which is a Japanese company, it is a
Japanese corporation, but the entire manufacturing happens in China also
because there was this entire I mean, ducks so are
(02:43):
very very prominent in China. They probably still are. So
it was the raw material was available. They were raised
for meat, they were not raised for the shuttles, but
there was a byproduct which could easily be sort of
channeled into sport. So that is what used to happen.
And with the growing sort of affinity for pork and
(03:06):
duck not being very popular, it is affecting this absolutely
side business of you know, making shuttles out of those feathers.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
And it's like one of those restaurant tricks, right you
just take everything that's left over and just cook up
another separate dish out of it, and you additionally one
but shuttlecocks puts a crossover. But it's interesting, right I
mean when you say, I mean you mentioned in your
story that duck feathers are used to make cheaper shuttles
(03:36):
than theese feathers, a reserve for the elite ones. Just
how does it end up affecting someone, say far off
at the go Pitchen Academy in Hyderabad. Something happening far
away from where they are, How does this really impact anyone?
Speaker 2 (03:50):
So all academies, be it the elite ones or even
the beginner's academies, the average academy depends on stocking shuttlecocks.
So let's say one session for one player, or let's
say a batch of forty players through a month, they
will go through about five hundred six hundred shuttles. So
(04:10):
if there is a shortage or if the costs of
the shuttle tubes increase, so one tube has about twelve
shuttles in it, and we're talking about like a one
hundred or one hundred and fifty percent increase. By the
end of twenty twenty five, the entire operating costs of
the academy go up. It will at some point get
translated into the fees that players have to sort of
(04:34):
pay for coaching, and that is the biggest fear that year.
That becomes very prohibitive, both for people are running the
academy as well as those who are training there. It's
not immediately impacted right now, it's not hit as yet,
but that is the fear in the coming months.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
I mean, that's what it is, right, I mean, see
for example, the high quality shuttles, which the twelve please
tub if it costs like you mentioned, twenty seven hundred
right now, it might go up to three thousand by
the end of this year, which is what nearly ten
percent increement in rates, which is a lot when you
look at when you say that one shutler uses pin
(05:12):
and it shuttle cocks a month, that's a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Yeah, at the same time last year that tube would
cost you twelve hundred. So it's gone from twelve hundred
to three thousand, let's say twenty seven hundred right now
right this moment. Also, the costs are very they're going
up and down as well. It's not exactly steady. The
availability is also not very steady. So there are academies
(05:38):
in Chennai, in Bangalore, even in Hyderabad where and I'm
sure it's the same case up north where there isn't
an assured supply of shuttles. So that puts people on
the edge even more. You know, So even if they
are willing to pay, the shuttles are just not coming
through in terms of the imports, so there is that
uncertainty as well. And yeah, it has that triple effect
(06:01):
of just putting people on the edge.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Ian just also, maybe you could talk about why specifically
duck feathers or why geese feathers as compared to let's say,
symnthetic shuttle coops, right, because why are we so reliant
on using these particular materials.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Right, So they've actually tried cloning that material with nylon,
with synthetics and they just don't get that same effect. Now,
the thing that a duck feather or a goose feather
is that it has a longer stem, So there is
a stem part of it, so that stem forms the
floral right that floor it. So those kind of stay intact.
(06:44):
They can't really be pulped down. But they are also
longer stems and the actual the linings of the feather
they don't really crumble, you know, they don't twilt. So
that makes duck in geese feathers extremely special for badminton.
They don't lose shape if we have to compare it
to let's say a cricket ball. Also, there is the
(07:05):
aerodynamic to the shuttle. That's an artificial shuttle. It travels
very fast. So what happens is it is okay for smashing,
it is great for drives, but when you have those
deft play at the net that will completely go out
of the window. If it's an artificial shuttle, like even
a plastic shuttle, it travels to way too fast. It
(07:27):
is extremely difficult to control. And there are other feathers
which just sort of you know, it makes the shuttle warbbly,
They wilt and you have to change the shuttle very fast.
So this is a very unique thing with duck feathers
that they hold shape, they do not wilt, and they
have those long stems. So the shuttle making is quite
(07:49):
the art and it requires this very very specific raw material.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Unfortunately, to any of you know, in your Badminton column
this week, you gave us a fascinating glimpse into a
Connor Plywood businessman's entrepreneurial ambitions to try and make shuttle
cocks in.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
India with duck feathers. Can you maybe talk about that
little segue and why it kind of did not take off?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Yes, I think it was a great experiment about thirty
five forty years back. And Kerla eats a lot of
duck is what I sort of discovered through this story.
Duck meat is something that they say we talked about
thirty five to forty years back, right, which is when
the Chinese was still sort of you know, they were
not the global factory that they are right now. The
(08:40):
Onyx wasn't entirely or even leaning was probably still in
its inception. Onyx wasn't entirely relying on the Chinese factories
juggernaut either. So India sort of got on to the
whole thing of let's make shuttles. And he was this
very clever businessman who was an engine He had the technology,
(09:02):
so he started making shuttles along with prakn and Wickrem
Singh who is a player from Delhi from a national
champion as well. Now, they attempted to make the shuttles,
but the way things spanned out in China and the
way shuttle making expanded in China, this ended up being
a very sort of a boutique experiment. So the shuttle
(09:25):
quality was okay, but the markets got flooded with cheaper options,
which were important, and then they just got priced out.
So we still have shuttles getting made in India. At Ulubaria,
which is in West Bengal. It's like how to not
a suburb but an industrial city in that municipality over there,
(09:47):
and Bengal also consumes duck meat. In fact, a lot
of duck meat is imported by China from Bangladesh, so
that entire area is known for rearing duck. But the
old area shuttles. And I think there are half dozen
of Indian manufacturers, but the quality isn't that great. The
(10:08):
technology has really gone forward or you know, really advanced
with your X and leaning, and the Indian manufacturers just
can't keep up.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
And yours and leaning both are anyway based in China,
I think. So that's another issue. So to say if
India were to start manufacturing so only is crazy because
in so many other sports, India and Pakistan are in
a way leading manufacturers. Right you talk about footballs, you
about hockey, even cricket to a certain extent, the kind
(10:38):
of cricket bats and balls that are manufactured India does
have quite a big role to play. That beats you.
Because again badminton, there is a big market in India.
And if we were to say, for example, if we
walk up to an average club anywhere in Mumbai or
Delhi or anywhere in the country, bangload, How different is
the normal feather shuttle cock compared to the ones we
(11:02):
are talking with duck feathers or these feathers, Like is
the difference that massive or is it just you know,
something that is required at elite level, Like I'm just
trying to think of keeper alternates here.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
So there are the hybrid shuttles as well, which is
like a mix of both. But yeah, let's say at
a very beginner's level or you have a particular kind
of shuttle, which is so there are academies which still
start out the players only on artificial shuttles like you know,
plastics in nylon or other clones of feather. But even
(11:39):
within the feather shuttles there is a lower grade sort
of acptr is the name which gets used. The base
level for the elite shuttle is something called AS two
and it goes up to AS forty, you know, so
that is the entire wide range AS fort which will
get used at the World Championships. So there are various
(11:59):
levels of shuttles and the entire quality or the distinction
is made based on again you know the quality of
the feathers and how much can they retain that shape,
you know, how long they can actually stay in play.
So there are absolute different varieties and the cost is
also based on that, but it's a difficult manufacturing process
(12:22):
as well. So the technology keeps improving, but it's difficult
to get a shuttle, right.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Junny, because everybody loves their conspiracy theory. Let me just
toss one up in the air and you can either
smash it or let it fall in the background. You know,
what are the chances that maybe this is like a
artificially created supply issue because the Chinese want to monopolize
their hold over something that is very basic, something that
(12:51):
gives an edge to shuttlers. Maybe they're buying out all
the shuttles duck feathers, duck feathers shuttles to ensure the
Chinese shuttlers are still up there.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
No, there's definitely whispers about you on them holding shuttles
because you know, s talking up on their own shuttles,
because that is also leading to the entire scarcity of
the supply. Why they would suddenly start doing it is
difficult to sort of guess, but I mean on the
(13:22):
panel track, they are sort of doing well in the
last one and a half year that is when the
whole thing started, But it doesn't really make business sense. Also,
you have to understand that you Onyx is a Japanese corporation, right,
so we're talking about a multinational sort of process. So
it will be difficult for China to do what they
(13:42):
are doing if that is what they are trying to do,
but you can't really rule it out. Also, the quality
of shuttles. I mean, this is what a couple of
coaches from Chennight told me that the quality of shuttles
that they are getting, it just feels artificial. So even
the shuttles that are coming in as as feather shuttles,
feel artificial. So there is that quality issue as well.
(14:05):
So yeah, I mean, is it China playing these tricks?
Difficult to prove or difficult to say, but there is
definitely an issue there.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Maybe national interests, We in India should start eating ducks
and see if you can also up our manufacturing game.
You imagine the vegetarian in the room is talking about
eating ducks and national interest that's.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
The most obvious. I mean, India has the capacity for sure,
India will need the technology to kind of nail that.
I mean, Cavilo, why not like why? I'm I'm sure
it's very tasty and I mean I've looked up a
few French recipes and not that I eat meat, but
I think it's might not be that different from chicken.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Might be tastier, Yeah, quite exquisite, I must say.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Yeah, I can completely imagine, like you know, back in
the day they used to have this national egg Council
whatever that I can totally see the Indian government getting
some of the superstars to force you to eat ducks.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
No, but yeah, that is an issue. You can't really
raise ducks only for their feathers, so it has to
be for meat. So yeah, I think we should make
it a national mission to have duck meat.
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Absolutely. I think before we go after the poor ducks
roaming around Phelly in India, we should segue very abruptly
into the World Championships which start on Monday. And you
mentioned the shuttles that use their as forty, not that
I know what it means. And what's the difference between
two and a S forty fast slower? What are they like?
Speaker 2 (15:42):
No, the shuttles, I mean it depends on that particular
batch very frankly. But the conditions because it is the
Olympic venue, right, one thing is clear that if conditions
are slow, then I think it will be a tough
first round match for lukshus In against Shiuchi. If the
conditions are faster than I think, that might just suit him.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
It's a very tricky draw, right, I mean you were
saying before we started recording, that's Indo if she does well,
big if there she has a recent draw, very interesting
one for Satikan Chira. They will run into the pair
that defeated them at the quarterfinals again at the QUARTERFINALI
that far. How do you see them progressing this time?
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (16:24):
The game is really evolved, okay. They are capable of
matching the Malaysians and the Chinese as well. They both
have a very big I mean, they have the power
game right, so they can literally sort of turn it
on here at any point, and they've beaten both these
pairings also, especially the Malaysians, they aren't exactly in great
(16:47):
form themselves, so I would think that it will be
like a fifty to fifty match, But they have the
Chinese before that, and the Chinese they will be gunning
for their first world title, so you know they will
be extremely more wait it. But so are the Indians.
I think the game is in a good place. It's
progressing well, and the expectations are not as high as
(17:09):
the Olympics, so that is a bit of a sobering
thing for the Indians. But that's good for them. You know,
they can go in and play without that whole pressure.
They can play like they usually do.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
But then, what's the bigger picture should that we should
look at? I mean, I know this is one of
those passing years where there is not a major thing
happening in the background or something to really aim for.
Of course, World Championships are the World Championships, but like
Southwick had said at the end of twenty twenty four,
that this should be an experimental year for them. So
(17:42):
what's the bigger picture from an Indian point of view
heading into these World Championships?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
You know, for both Satwika as well as Luxure, I
think if they have to have like a bad World Championship,
let it be this one. I'm not saying that they will.
I still think that Luxurer probably you know, playing shut
in the first is far better than playing him later
with the metal pressure hanging on his head. So I
still think it's the best of the worst case scenarios,
(18:07):
and so that's how it will be. But so even
if they sort of lose. This is not a year
where they where everyone needs to kind of stress over
Oh my god. You know what happened Next year is
when the Asian Games are, So I think the whole
thing should be geared towards the Asian Games because those
are the big medals. But I think if they're looking
(18:28):
at the double sparing as well as luxure, I think
it's just that the World Championships need to get the
best out of you. It's good for their confidence. But
even if things don't really go their way, it won't
be a disaster, is what I think.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
I think that's a nice sobering note to end this podcast.
World Championship season actually gets under way with this week.
There there's one almost every week happening and to count
the two Asia clubs, the cricket and hockey one the
next month and is going to be quite stunning beyond
that too the second half of this year. So to
(19:05):
keep visiting Indian Express dot com to read and to
the Express Pots podcast to listen to us Kiani thanks
as always for all the duck knowledge that you've provided
us and the World Championships Review, Ahmit and our production team.
As always, we will be back with a new episode
of Game Time next week. Thanks for listening.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
You were listening to Express Sports by the Indian Express.
This week's show was edited and mixed by Sohawar and
produced by Mesha shang Bargev. If you like the show,
then do subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also recommend the show to someone you think
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(19:52):
Indian Express dot com.
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