Syed Modi's Story: The Death Of India's Badminton Star

Indian badminton star, Syed Modi. (Sportskeeda)

JAKARTA - India once had a talented badminton player. Syed Modi, his name. His achievements have made the name of India fragrant everywhere. Modi has become a new idol in the country of Hindustan. His name is often echoed.

Modi also appeared as a kind person and had no enemies. Disaster arises. Modi became a murder victim. He was killed after finishing training badminton in Lucknow, India. News of his death shocked the whole of India and was mixed with mystery.

India can be proud to be a country whose athletes grow independently in poverty. Syed Mehdi Hassan Zaidi (Syed Mehdi/Syed Modi) is one example. The Muslim badminton athlete appeared in the midst of poverty in the city of Sardarnagar, Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh.

The man who was born in Gorakhpur, India, December 31, 1962 did not give up and dared to dream of becoming a professional badminton player. This wish is not grandiose. Syed Mehdi did stand out in the field of men's singles badminton.

Like a tit for tat. Modi's dream of getting full support from his brothers. That spirit made him shine in India. He was able to dominate the national celebration of junior badminton from 1976. He was still 14 years old at that time.

Problems arise. The junior badminton committee turned out to be misspelling its name, from Syed Mehdi to Syed Modi. The mistake brought blessings. Syed Modi's name is actually famous throughout India. Modi began to show his potential on the world badminton stage.

Modi in a short time was able to prove his capacity as a big Indian badminton athlete. He was able to dominate national badminton eight times from 1980-1987.

Modi also shined at the 1982 Asian Games and won a bronze medal. He was right under the men's singles of China, Han Jian (gold), and the men's singles of pride in Indonesia, Lim Swie King (silver).

His 'presitation in the international badminton world' made the Indian people proud. He won the national championship for eight consecutive years from 1980 to 1987. He won Austria International in 1983 and 1984, won bronze in the 1982 Asian Games, and received the Arjuna award (highest award from the State to outstanding athletes) in 1981.

In 1982, in the Commonwealth match, he defeated Nick Yeates from England, 7-15, 15-5, and 15-7, to win the man's single title. This game shows a mixture of Sure Goel style (India's badminton legend), where Modi is his protg. Modi is also predicted to reach the peak of his career, "said Prabudh Pinerjee in the book "Where is Najeeb?" And Other Stories of Unsolved Crimes (2023).

Modi continued to achieve achievements. This success made Modi's name explore throughout India. He even transformed into the number one men's singles badminton athlete in India. The future is predicted by many people to be bright. Not impossible, Modi will become the world's number one badminton athlete.

Hope is the hope. Disaster actually appeared at the peak of Modi's career. Saban Hari Modi did have a schedule to practice at the KD Singh Babu Sports Stadium in Lucknow, India. The exercise was done with joy. However, not on July 28, 1988.

Modi, who happened to have finished his training session, tried to stop by the food stall in the stadium. He deliberately went there to enjoy cold drinks. Bad luck day was not in the calendar. He who tried to grab his vehicle to go home received attacks from three unknown people.

Modi's striker fired five bullets from his gun. The shooting caught the attention of many people and shooters running away. The killing then shocked the whole of India. Modi's death is the biggest loss of badminton lovers India and the world.

His death became a mystery. Many tried to guess why Modi was the target of murder. Modi was once suspected of having many enemies. However, the accusation was not proven because Modi's friendly and kind life was sold.

Modi was also considered deliberately killed by a supporter of the Indian Prime Minister (PM), Rajiv Gandhi. Modi is believed to be one of those who oppose the power of Indira Gandhi's son - AntiRajiv. The accusations were considered groundless because Modi distanced himself from politics.

This condition made law enforcement direct Modi's death to a high level of love intrigue. Indian intelligence CBI intervened. They have examined witnesses. As a result, Modi is believed to have been killed because his wife, Ameeta Modi, had an affair with Sanjay Singh.

This information became even more excited because Sanjay Singh was known as a politician and former Sports Minister of Uttar Pradesh in the 1982-1985 era. Ameeta Modi allegedly conspired with Sanjay to kill Modi. They then recruited the killer to inspire the badminton star.

Law enforcement officials also detained several people, including Ameeta and Sanjay. However, both of them were released because the authorities did not have sufficient evidence. The public also considered that the motive for the murder was nothing more than gossip, rather than facts.

Modi's death is still a mystery to this day. In fact, the film related to the mystery of Modi's murder was also stated in a film called Sau Crore (1991). However, the high appreciation of the Indians to Modi never fades. Modi's name was immortalized as the name of the badminton tournament: All India Syed Modi Badminton Championship (now: Syed Modi Grand Prix).

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's political opponent Sanjay Singh was arrested today in connection with the murder of India's top badminton player. The arrest came after a newspaper reported that the opposition politician had an affair with the wife of the killer athlete.

The politition, 32-year-old Sanjay Singh, was arrested in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh State, said a Central Bureau of Investigation official. The bureau has taken over the investigation into the murder of badminton champion Syed Modi, on July 28, Modi was shot dead when he left a stadium in Lucknow, where he practiced, "a written newspaper The New York Times entitled A Foe of Gandhi Is Arrested In Killing of Badminton Star (1988).