Sale of badminton rackets, shuttlecocks up by 90 percent

The sales of badminton rackets and shuttlecocks have moved up by 90 percent and sports tracksuits and sweaters by 50 percent during last one month on the arrival of chilly season in the metropolis, said sports market analysts on Saturday.
"Mostly, over the year the sale of badminton and other indoor sports items are very down with only 10 percent, but in the winter season it rises up phenomenally and this year it has registered 90 percent increase," M. Asif Qureshi of Sheraton Sports said.
The reason he mentioned behind the increase in sale of badminton, shuttlecocks and other such items was the wind blow at a low pace, which helped the player play the game smoothly therefore, public always tended to buy them during this season.
He pointed out that most of the indoor sports items had been the Chinese ones and had flooded the domestic market out of proportions and the local products had completely vanished in sports quarters.
He observed that Chinese products were more inexpensive and affordable for public to purchase them as a badminton racket was available in the market in the range of Rs 60 per pair to Rs 5000 per pair depending on the quality and standard of the product.
Mr Asif said that domestic companies had completely collapsed after the onset of Chinese products in the domestic market and only one local sports company producing badminton rackets only on a small scale. However, he underlined the growing decline in sale of all sports items by around 50 percent which he termed a 'threatening diversion' of public from sporting activities and held the lack of play grounds responsible in the city. He also urged on schools administration to initiate sports game on regular basis to push the youth and children toward better health.
Syed Ahsan Shah of Continental Sports said that the sales of sweaters and tracksuits have grown up by at least 15 percent just ahead of the year-end and would further increase following the winter more likely by December.
He said only local tracksuits were being purchased which was available in the range of Rs 280 to Rs 800, while the sales of knee-paid had gone up by 45 percent during last one month.
He said a pair of knee-paid was available in the range of Rs 25 to 150 varying quality and standard wise. Mr Syed said all items were produced locally however stuff used in tracksuits may be imported from other countries.