BANGALORE, July 9: The Badminton Association of India (BAI), in a remarkable turnaround, offered itself to Prakash Padukone and his hand-picked team to run the country's badminton affairs.

``I am giving Prakash Padukone a blank cheque,'' BAI president V K Verma told reporters here today after a marathon, closed door meeting with Padukone, who had formed a parallel body, the Indian Badminton Confederation (IBC).

Verma, while categorically admitting that the BAI was guilty of `autocratic functioning' under his predecessor Fazil Ahmed, said he was willing to go any distance to seek a meeting point with Padukone in a bid to solve the present imbroglio, even if it meant that he (Verma) had to step down.

When Padukone openly suggested that the entire BAI resign so that a fresh set of officials could be chosen, Verma said he would put up the proposal to his committee. ``We can even recast the entire constitution,'' he added.

``Prakash can have his team and run the BAI as he sees fit. I have total confidence in him,'' said Verma who denied that he was a `front' for Fazil Ahmed who stepped down as the president last month.

``There is no question of my following Mr Fazil Ahmed because there was no policy in the first place,'' said Verma, half in jest, but did not mince words when he hastened to add: ``Mr Fazil will have no role to play, directly or indirectly, in BAI's functioning.''

Padukone had formed the IBC on June 18 as an alternative to the BAI which, he had stated, was being run in an arbitrary manner by Fazil Ahmed. In reply, Ahmed had refuted all charges before he stepped down on June 28, for Verma to take over as the president.

Verma confessed that Fazil Ahmed had erred in running rough shod over the state associations. ``The then president (Fazil Ahmed) has realised his follies. I will ensure that the state associations are treated with respect and their autonomy is ensured. The BAI would like to function with transparency with players having a voice,'' Verma said.

While spelling out BAI's plans which included player-participation, affiliation to the players' association, hike in prize-money and daily allowances, Verma said that funds would be made available for participation of players in international competition.

``In effect, we want to turn the focus back on badminton and safeguard the interests of the players,'' he said. Verma repeatedly harped on the `one country, one federation' theme while imploring that the BAI and Prakash can `work together' for a common cause.

However, the `technical matter', as Verma put it, about the possible BAI and IBC merger, evoked only a lukewarm response from both Padukone and Verma.While Padukone insisted that a decision on merger or otherwise would be taken by the IBC's general body, Verma said it was a `technical and minor matter', but declined his stand on the subject.

Significantly, Padukone reiterated that `we have gone too far' and that it would be very difficult to negotiate a truce on the basis of dissolving the IBC and joining hands with the BAI.

``I cannot take any decision on my own because we have gone too far. I will have to consult with all the state associations and players who have supported the IBC,'' he said.

Unfazed, Verma went on to announce more concessions to Padukone to whom he said: ``You will have total powers to run the show in the role of the managing director of a company.'

A stony faced Padukone apparently remained unmoved by all the offerings and said: ``The BAI will have to make specific proposals and only then can anything be considered.''

Even as Padukone and Verma met, a couple of more state associations applied for affiliation to the IBC whose strength seemed to be growing by the day. At the moment, the IBC boasts the support of 12 state associations with more expected in the coming weeks.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.