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Subhankar then set out on a mailing spree and tried his luck with all the major Danish badminton clubs and after a nervous
few weeks, he got an offer from Ikast Badminton Club in 2015. “It was a sports college and I had to play for the club. They gave
me a small salary and with that I was able to play international tournaments,” he said. He was soon signed by Greve Strands
Badminton Club in Copenhagen, the centre for badminton in Denmark. ”

He had defeated Sai Praneeth at the senior badminton nationals last year and finished with the bronze medal, which he rates
as one of the highlights of his career. However, the achievement wasn't enough to attract support. “From the beginning,
there has been no support extended to me. I have done everything on my own. The opportunities, at this moment, are very
scarce. I have been playing all alone and I wasn't even included in the national camp.
Subhankar also spoke of being snubbed during the Premier Badminton League (PBL) auctions held in October. “Players who
didn't even qualify for international series' got chances, but players like me, who have beaten top players, got no chances.

When asked if he felt neglected because he didn't come out of the famed Gopi Chand Academy in Hyderabad, he replied, “If
you ask me, we have to accept that the players who train at the Gopi Chand Academy get more opportunities and much more
exposure than outsiders. I had tried a lot to get into the academy, but they were never eager to take me.” Subhankar feels his
rocky journey so far has only made him stronger.

India no. 8 trains with the Danish club during the season and at other times he's back home in Kolkata, training at his own
academy – the Subhankar Dey academy – which he set up in March this year. Currently ranked 64 in the world, the
SaarLorLux Open triumph will help him climb up the rankings. From being shunned by the top academies in the country to
fending for himself abroad, and eventually going on to defeat his childhood icon, Subhankar has done it his way and will hope
to march on, and win points.

Kashish Singh
Grade 8

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