Controversy hits IBL: Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa slam auction fiasco

Doubles specialists Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa were left disappointed with the Indian Badminton League39s decision to slash their base price at the last moment in the Player39s auction and termed it as quotdisrespectfulquot and quotabsurdquot Commonwealth Games women39s doubles champions Jwala and Ashwini were two of the six icon players who went under the hammer yesterday but just hours ahead of the player39s auction the IBL decided to reduce their base price from USD 50000 Rs 2986264 to USD 25000 1493125 after consultation with the six franchises In the auction Jwala went to Krrish Delhi Smashers at USD 31000 Rs 1851520 while Pune Pistons bagged Ashwini for the base price of USD 25000 quotI am very disappointed Me and Ashwini signed the contract as icon players and we should have been given a better deal We were not even informed about the reduction of base price In fact the news that women39s doubles was replaced by another men39s singles I came to know late What can I say It is disrespectful and I am deeply hurt and upset by IBLquot Jwala told PTI Jwala Gutta left and Ashwini Ponnappa File Pic Ashwini who won the World Championship bronze along with Jwala in London in 2011 was equally hurt at this last minute decision by the IBL quotI didn39t get a call regarding this No one explained things to me I am really hurt and deeply upset Until the auction got over I didn39t even know about itquot Ashwini said quotI heard that since there is no women39s doubles competition so our price was slashed but then how come other women39s doubles players got way more than me That is more absurd They make you icon players and then they don39t treat you with respectquot Ashwini said Interestingly Ashwini39s current women39s doubles and mixed doubles partners Pradanya Gadre and Tarun Kona were bought by USD 46000 and USD 28000 after starting at a base price of USD 10000 and USD 15000 Explaining the reasons behind this sudden slashing of the base price Ashish Chadha CEO of Sporty Solutionz the commercial partner of IBL said quotLast night we had a closed bidding but then two players Jwala and Ashwini went unsold so it was decided that close bidding will not work so it was scrapped and we went for an open bidding for all icon players quotIn November last year it was decided that we will have women39s doubles and at that time Jwala and Ashwini were signed as icon players but subsequently women39s doubles was dropped But to safeguard their interest IBL decided to still give them a chance to fetch a bigger amount in the auction and also decided to pay them the deficit amount if the amount is below USD 50000quot explained Chadha Asked if the open bidding was harsh on Ashwini Chadha said quotThat was something which was coming from the sack We can39t help it Even if we had done a closed bidding the maximum she would have got is USD 50000 Still she gets USD 50000 nowquot The six franchises had a purse of USD 275000 to buy 10 players four foreign six Indian and one junior Asked why the women39s doubles was replaced by another men39s singles Chadha said quotThe women39s doubles was dropped because there was less of players and awareness and second and foremost that was discussed at the governing council that if we have just one men39s singles that won39t let our single players to get a go at the top international playersquotu00a0