Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has expressed surprise after the Sports Authority of India (SAI) declined to release funding for the Indian badminton contingent's European campaign, forcing several shuttlers to bear their own expenses.

The news came to light after Sindhu and Lakshya Sen won their respective singles titles at the Hylo Open 2026 in Germany.

The funding setback affected India's four consecutive tournaments across Finland, Denmark, France and Germany. According to a report by The Indian Express, players were informed about the decision only days before the Arctic Open began in Vantaa, Finland, on October 6.

Sindhu, who reached the French Open final before winning the Hylo Open, admitted that she was taken aback by the development. Speaking to The Indian Express from Saarbrücken, she said, "When I got to know, I was a bit shocked and wondered how the funding hadn't gone through. I hadn't faced something like that before."

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The Indian shuttler added that she could not afford to miss tournaments because of the funding issue and decided to focus on her performances instead.

"For me, the priority was to participate and focus on what I needed to do, how I needed to play my matches and keep on improving. Obviously, it was surprising that we couldn't get the funding, whatever the reason may have been. I managed the funding on my own a bit and OGQ (Olympic Gold Quest, her backers) also helped me in this," she added.

Why Did SAI Stop Funding Indian Badminton Players?

The funding decision initially raised questions about whether it was connected to India's disappointing badminton campaign at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Indian shuttlers returned without an individual medal at the continental event for the first time since 2014, managing only a bronze in the men's team competition.

However, a senior SAI official rejected any connection between the funding decision and the Asian Games results. The official attributed the delay to the Badminton Association of India's (BAI) failure to submit its funding proposal within the stipulated deadline.

SAI's guidelines previously required national federations to submit proposals 90 days before an event without player names and 60 days in advance with the names included. Following requests from federations, the deadline was relaxed to 30 days.

However, the SAI official said BAI failed to submit the required proposal even within the revised timeline.

"These new guidelines apply to everybody. If we don't have the proposal with the names 30 days before a tournament, we will not process it," the official told The Indian Express.

SAI sources also told IANS that BAI had failed to submit its proposal within the prescribed period.

Indian Shuttlers Forced To Manage European Tour Expenses

The funding issue reportedly left players responsible for their travel, food and accommodation expenses during much of the European campaign. BAI had informed the players that it would arrange accommodation for the opening tournament in Finland, but they had to manage the remaining expenses for the subsequent events.

The situation also affected coaching support, with some Indian shuttlers competing without their regular coaches. Ashmita Chaliha, for instance, had fellow player Isharani Baruah in her corner when she defeated Japan's Akane Yamaguchi at the French Open. Tanvi Sharma also competed without a coach during a match at the Denmark Open.

The impact was reflected in participation numbers across the tour. While 26 Indians competed at the Arctic Open, six players withdrew from the Denmark Open, seven pulled out of the French Open and nine withdrew from the Hylo Open.

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Will SAI Restore Funding For Upcoming Badminton Tournaments?

A senior SAI official confirmed that funding support would be restored for upcoming tournaments. However, the players will not receive reimbursements for the expenses they incurred during the four-week European campaign.

Meanwhile, BAI general secretary Sanjay Mishra did not respond to the calls and messages seeking clarification on the matter.

Despite the financial uncertainty, Indian shuttlers produced encouraging results. Sindhu won the Hylo Open women's singles title, while Lakshya Sen claimed the men's singles crown, ending his year-long wait for a tournament title.