New Delhi, September 10: For years, badminton in Pan America was a story of potential without enough pathways. Today, that narrative is changing, and American shuttler Ishika Jaiswal is among those leading the charge.
From growing up in the United States to sharing the court with two of women’s badminton’s biggest names, Ratchanok Intanon and Nozomi Okuhara, her journey reflects both the sport’s changing landscape and her own rapid rise.
Her route to the international stage, however, was far from conventional. A promising tennis player as a child, she switched to badminton on her coach’s suggestion and quickly found her calling. With her father playing a pivotal role in her career and later helping establish Velocity Badminton in Texas, the family’s journey has evolved into something bigger: a growing badminton ecosystem that is giving young players in the US a reason to believe that the sport can be a career.
Now, having come close to breaking into the world’s top 50, she wants to establish herself among the elite and compete at more major tournaments. In this conversation, she reflects on her World Championships experience, the rise of Pan-American badminton, her Indian roots, the support she has found in India, and the journey that has brought her to this point.
“It Was Definitely A Good Experience”: BWF World Championships Run For Ishika
For Ishika Jaiswal, her run at the BWF World Championships was more than just another tournament. It was an opportunity to test herself against some of the best players in the world and understand what it takes to compete at the highest level. Reflecting on her experience, Jaiswal said, “It was definitely a really good experience. I got to play against some of the top players, and overall, I was happy with my game. I was able to compete with them and do my best.”
The tournament also gave the American shuttler a clear understanding of the demands of elite badminton. “Many of the athletes are extremely skillful. You need more than just the ability to rally anymore; you need a lot more skills,” she said. The experience has since shaped the areas she wants to improve as she looks to establish herself among the world’s top players.
Jaiswal also faced two highly experienced opponents in Ratchanok Intanon and Nozomi Okuhara, players she had grown up watching. She admitted that she was initially overwhelmed by the occasion. “I tried not to think of them as legends because I grew up watching them,” she said. But as the matches progressed, her mindset changed. “After playing for a while, I started thinking, I can also fight against them.”
For Jaiswal, it was ultimately a “really full-circle moment” that she genuinely enjoyed. But do you know the inspirational journey behind her badminton?
Stumbling into Badminton: Ishika Jaiswal’s Racquet Journey
For Ishika Jaiswal, badminton was an unexpected turn in a sporting journey that began with tennis. An athletic child, she tried swimming, karate and several other sports before finding success in tennis. It was her tennis coach who eventually suggested that she try badminton, telling her that while she was a good runner, she lacked power. “I thought, ‘Oh, that sounds easier,’ so I tried it,” Jaiswal recalled. Her hand-eye coordination helped her adapt quickly, and what started as an experiment soon turned into a serious pursuit. She kept improving with every tournament, and before long, badminton became the path she wanted to follow professionally.
As Ishika’s interest and performances grew, so did her father’s involvement in her career. He became deeply invested in understanding the sport and wanted to remain connected to the junior circuit, particularly by helping other parents navigate the logistics and business side of competitive badminton. That vision eventually led to Velocity Badminton in Texas, an academy he built with three partners over three to four years. The academy opened last year, giving the family’s badminton journey a new dimension.
That new chapter has also brought Ishika closer to a growing Indian-origin badminton community in Texas. Located in an area with a large Indian population, Velocity has attracted many Indian children who are taking up the sport. “There are many Indian kids playing badminton and trying out the sport,” Ishika said.
While the academy is still young and has many beginners, its growing community represents exactly the kind of ecosystem her family hopes to build. For Jaiswal, it is not just about her own journey anymore, but about helping create a future where young players in the US can see badminton as a genuine career option.
The start of an academy, however, has started a little ‘badminton revolution’ in America. On the broader contours, Pan Am itself is seeing positive growth in badminton.
Growth of Badminton in Pan Am
The growth of badminton in Pan America is becoming increasingly visible, with more players, academies and support systems emerging across the region. Ishika believes the change is being driven by a generation that is beginning to see the sport differently. “People are beginning to see badminton as a viable career option,” she said, adding that junior players are now “training much harder than we did.”
That shift, she feels, could be crucial for the region’s future. “There have always been talented kids. We never really had a talent problem,” Ishika explained. The challenge was convincing them that a future in badminton was possible.
With more players now succeeding internationally and LA 2028 on the horizon, that perception is slowly changing, giving the next generation a reason to believe they can make it.