The inaugural Indian Badminton League has been a grand success with the organizers, players, commercial partners and the audience "left thirsting for more in the next season," according to Vinay Nayudu of the TIMES OF INDIA. Four more new franchises and more global shuttling stars "are likely additions to the excitement in IBL 2." Badminton Association of India President Akhilesh Das Gupta revealed that an offer of Rs 20 crore ($3M) "to buy a new franchise for the next year has been made from Kolkata." Das Gupta said, "We shall have four more teams and to see the valuation go up is a great sign." Initially, the IBL was valued at around Rs 50 crores ($7.5M) "but the commercial partners are claiming the value to be double the amount." IBL promoters Sporty Solutionz CEO Ashish Chadha said, "We are more than delighted. The ticket sales itself have fetched us Rs 2.5 crores ($378,800)." Shuttler Saina Nehwal, "who had an unbeaten run that helped Hyderabad Hotshots lift the inaugural IBL title," said that she expects the $1M event to become as big as cricket's Indian Premier League in the coming years (TIMES OF INDIA, 9/2). The AFP reported a BAI official said that next year "efforts will be made to get the powerful Chinese on board." The official said, "The Chinese backed out this year because of prior commitments, but I am sure they will reconsider when they hear good things about the inaugural edition" (AFP, 9/1).
