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New Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
A greedy BWF is pushing its shuttlers
ELITE sports is no longer about competition. It's about consumption. And the athletes? They're just the product. In a world where TV rights, sponsorship deals and bloated global calendars rule the roost, it's becoming painfully clear, nobody is protecting the athletes. Not really. This week alone has delivered two glaring reminders. The Badminton World Federation (BWF), in a sweeping revamp, wants to stretch its Super 1000 tournaments, including the Malaysia Open from six days to 11 starting in 2027. An Olympic-style group stage for singles players is also on the table. The idea, they say, is to boost fan engagement and player welfare. Sounds lovely. But read between the lines, it's all about one thing - money. More days mean more ticket sales. More exposure means bigger ad revenue. And longer tournaments to keep broadcasters happy. Whether the athletes themselves can stay healthy is secondary. Even former world champion Aaron Chia, who usually plays it safe with his words, expressed cautious optimism. Yes, the extra prize money is welcome, but as he rightly pointed out: "We haven't tried it yet, so let's see." That's athlete-speak for: This could be a disaster. Here's the kicker. The BWF isn't just extending tournaments, it's clamping down on player freedom. The top 10 ranked pairs and top 15 singles players must play in all four Super 1000 events — the Malaysia Open, All England, Indonesia Open and China Open — as well as all six Super 750 tournaments and at least two of the nine Super 500 events each season. That's 12 mandatory tournaments a year. Miss one? You're slapped with a US$5,000 fine. And that's just the Tour. Players also have to squeeze in the continental championships, World Championships, the World Tour Finals, Sudirman Cup, Thomas or Uber Cup and the Olympics, depending on the year. In all, a top shuttler plays around 15-20 tournaments in a year. So much for improving "player welfare". Across the globe, footballers are caught in a similar bind — trapped by a relentless calendar designed for one thing — maximum profit. The Club World Cup, FIFA's latest cash cow, features 32 teams. Matches have kicked off in the United States, barely a month after some players ended their seasons. For context, a single campaign for a top English team includes the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League. And by the time the Club World Cup wraps up on July 13, many stars will have just 24 days before the madness of the 2025-26 season begins. FIFPRO, the global players' union, has had enough. Backed by 70 medical experts, they've released a damning study recommending 12 safeguards, including a four-week off-season, a mid-season break, and workload limits for under-18s. And still, nothing changes. FIFA insists the Club World Cup "hasn't caused" fixture congestion Really? Tell that to Manchester City's Rodri, who was sidelined for eight months with ACL and meniscus injuries. Or to the Seattle Sounders, who turned up for training wearing shirts that read: "Club World Ca$h Grab". The suits say it's about growing the game. What it's really about is growing the bank account. And who gets left behind? The very people who make the product marketable — the athletes. The ones who run, sweat, collapse, bleed and break. The ones with shredded hamstrings, worn-out joints and mental scars no doctor can fix. But as long as they keep showing up, no one cares. This obsession with expansion has turned professional sports into a circus. One that never stops moving. No rest. No recovery. Just go, go, go. You've got footballers playing 70 matches a season. Tennis stars juggling ATP, WTA, Grand Slams, Laver Cup and the Olympics. Cricketers hopping from Tests to T20s to franchise leagues across continents. And now, badminton players are being lined up for the same treatment — marathon events, overloaded calendars, mandatory appearances. And financial penalties for skipping them. What happens when they burn out? When the knees give in? When the mental fatigue becomes too much? Well, that's someone else's problem. Organisers will simply move on to the next marketable name. The machine doesn't stop, it just reloads. Let's be absolutely clear, sports needs structure. It needs calendar stability. It needs to grow. But not like this. Because what we're seeing isn't growth — it's greed. A mad dash for global domination where players are reduced to content creators in jerseys, made to dance for fans and financiers, while their health — physical and mental — is traded for metrics. It's high time we said it out loud: modern sports is failing its athletes. And if the governing bodies won't act, don't be surprised when more players speak out. Or worse, walk away. Because when the games keep getting bigger, but the humans playing them are pushed to breaking point, we need to ask: Is this really the future we want? Or are we just watching greatness die, one tournament at a time?
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Former Wimbledon Champion to retire at the end of the summer
Former two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will retire from Tennis after this year's US Open tournament in September. The ex-Wimbledon queen returned to the tour four months ago following the birth of son Petr last summer and will play at SW19 for a final time after being given a wild card to the event. Kvitova won her first Wimbledon title in 2011, famously beating the great Maria Sharapova on the iconic grass courts of the All England club, The powerful left-hander's game proved perfect for grass courts and she added a second Wimbledon crown in 2014, while she also made the Australian Open final in 2019 and reached a career high of second in the rankings. She achieved both those things despite a shocking stabbing by an intruder at her home in late 2016 in which she suffered damage to tendons and nerves in her left hand, threatening her career. Writing on social media, Kvitova said: 'Growing up in my hometown of Fulnek and hitting the first tennis balls with my father on the local courts, I never imagined becoming a professional tennis player, being able to travel the world, and playing in the most beautiful stadiums around the world. 'I've been privileged to reach incredible heights over the past 19 years since becoming a professional tennis player. From winning my two Wimbledon Championships, bringing home six Billie Jean King Cup trophies for the Czech Republic, reaching the world #2 ranking and so much more. 'I have accomplished more than I could have ever imagined and I am so grateful to everything that tennis has given me all these years. It has taught me countless lessons, not only on the court or in the gym, but also in life. 'I would never be whom I am today without this beautiful sport, and everything it has given me both on and off the court. 'As with all phases in life, there comes a day that it is time for a new chapter, and that time for me has come now. I therefore wanted to share with you that 2025 is my last season on tour as a professional. 'I am excited and very much looking forward to soak in the beauty of playing The Championships, Wimbledon one more time, a place that holds the most cherished memories in my career for me. 'And while I am not entirely sure yet what my hardcourt swing in the US will look like, I am intending to finish my active playing career at the US Open in New York later this summer. 'While no such decision is ever easy to make, for me this is a happy moment! I will leave the sport with the biggest smile on my face – the same smile you've seen from me on and off court throughout my whole career.' Kvitova has found wins very hard to come by since returning to the match court in Texas following more than a year away. It took her five tournaments to register her first victory, which came against Irina-Camelia Begu on clay in Rome, but that so far remains her only win.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Shuttler Aaron welcomes Super 1000 boost
KUALA LUMPUR: Aaron Chia has welcomed the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) proposal to increase prize money for its Super 1000 tournaments, but is cautiously optimistic about other sweeping changes. BWF aims to revamp four of its prestigious events — the All England, Indonesia Open, China Open and Malaysia Open. From 2027, these majors are expected to be extended from the current six-day format to 11, which is aimed at improving player welfare and fan engagement. Among the proposals are introducing an Olympic-style format — combining group stages with a knockout round — for singles events. The proposed changes were outlined in an "Expression of Interest" document, briefly available on the BWF website. The document has since been taken down. Aaron said: "Increasing the prize money is, of course, a good thing for all the players, and I hope they can increase it even more," said Aaron, who won the 2022 World Championships with Soh Wooi Yik. "I think it's a good move, for sure. As for the other changes, we have to try them first and see how it goes." Aaron said the 11-day format could benefit players as it would allow more recovery time for them between matches. "It's better for players to have more rest and recovery before every match so that every player can perform well. But we haven't tried it yet, so let's see," he said.
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Health
- New Straits Times
Razif Sidek now out of danger, expected to be discharged soon
KUALA LUMPUR: Badminton legend Datuk Razif Sidek is on the mend after being hospitalised with pneumonia, according to his brother, Datuk Rashid Sidek. Razif, who captained Malaysia to the 1992 Thomas Cup title, was admitted on June 11 after experiencing breathing difficulty and was later diagnosed with pneumonia. "He's still in hospital and under observation," Rashid told Timesport on Sunday. "But he's doing much better than when he was first admitted on Wednesday. He needs to finish his course of antibiotics. If all goes well, he could be discharged soon." The 63-year-old had just returned from a short family holiday in Australia. It's believed the cold winter air Down Under may have triggered his illness. Razif and his brother, Datuk Seri Jalani Sidek, were once ranked world No.1. Their illustrious careers included winning the 1982 All England men's doubles title. The pair also made history as Malaysia's first Olympic medallists, claiming bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Games. They bagged two World Championship medals — silver in 1987 (Beijing) and bronze in 1989 (Jakarta). While no longer coaching full-time, Razif remains an influential figure in the local badminton scene and is known for his outspoken takes on national players' performances. His son, Fazriq Razif, is currently part of the national men's doubles squad, partnering Bryan Goonting.
New Straits Times
13-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Razif Sidek recovering well from pneumonia
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Razif Sidek, who captained Malaysia to the 1992 Thomas Cup title, is showing encouraging signs of recovery from pneumonia at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Razif's former coach and close friend, Datuk James Selvaraj, said the 61-year-old was in high spirits during a visit on Friday. "Razif's condition has improved a lot compared to the first two days, when he had some breathing difficulty. He was cheerful, laughing and joking when I visited him today," said James. "He is still on intravenous antibiotics as the pneumonia is quite severe, so he'll need to remain warded for another week. "His blood pressure and sugar levels are stable, and it's great to see him back to his jovial self." James's relationship with the Sidek family goes back decades. He was the one who first spotted the brothers' talent while they were training under their father, Datuk Sidek Kamar, in Kanchong Darat, Banting. Razif and his younger brother, Datuk Seri Jalani Sidek, were also under James's tutelage when he served as assistant to national coach Datuk Tan Yee Khan in 1992, the year they won the All England title. Razif, once world No 1 with Jalani, enjoyed a glittering career that included winning a silver medal at the 1987 World Championships. Razif-Jalani also claimed Malaysia's first Olympic medal with bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Though no longer coaching actively, Razif remains closely involved in local badminton and is known for his candid views on the performances of national shuttlers. His son, Fazriq Razif, is currently part of the national men's doubles set-up and partners Bryan Goonting.
