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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?
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong ex-Paralympian Daniel Chan aims to improve badminton players' lives in new role
Two-time Paralympic medallist Daniel Chan Ho-yuen hoped to push for more resources from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to further develop the sport worldwide after being appointed chair of the Para Badminton Athletes' Commission and a BWF Council member last Thursday. Advertisement While his chairmanship is technically only until re-elections in December – though there was an understanding with the BWF that he would continue in the role and his re-election would be a formality – Chan intended to use his time in the position to improve the conditions for those still playing the sport. 'It wasn't even a Paralympic sport when I first started serving,' said Chan, who has been a commission member for eight years. 'It is now a sport, and people are learning more about it, but the resources are lacking and quite poor. 'We are lucky in Hong Kong because we can be full-time athletes, but that is not the case for athletes in many other countries.' Daniel Chan won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. Photo: Hong Kong Paralympic Association Chan, who won a bronze and silver medal at the Tokyo and Paris Paralympics respectively, also said that badminton's prominence in Asia meant the sport in the region was better off than in the other continents. Advertisement 'In Europe, Africa, South America and even Oceania, where badminton isn't a prime sport or as much a part of the culture, players need to cover their own expenses to compete overseas, and this can be very expensive,' he said.
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Dania eyes double returns in slight change of role at Asian Juniors
PETALING JAYA: Shuttler Dania Sofea Zaidi (pic) will be going for a double victory in the Asian Junior Championships with a slight change in her role. The 17-year-old Dania has dropped the girls' singles event and will play in the doubles with Low Zi Yu and mixed doubles with Datu Anif Datu Asra in the meet in Solo, Indonesia, from July 18 to 27. At the last edition in Yogyakarta, she did not play in the girls' doubles but after reaching the final of the world junior championships with Zi Yu last year, they are set to be one of the favourites at the Asian meet. The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) also named Slovak Open runners-up Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan-Nur Aina Maisarah Hatta in the girls' doubles event. The others in the girls' team are Lee Mun, Oo Shan Zi, Eng Ler Qi, Lim Zhi Shin, Nicole Tan, and Nicole Chau. In the boys' category, the tall Razeeq Danial Rosli, who won the National Under-18 Championships last year, will be one of the key players. He will be supported by Ayu Fu Sheng, Kong Wei Xiang, Lim Boon Le, Datu Anif Datu Asrah, Loh Zi Heng, Zulwaqqarizal Ahmad, Damien Ling, Shazmir Shahrul, and Tan Zhi Yang as Malaysia aim for a strong showing at the regional meet. The team event will be contested using the new relay scoring system, similar to the format introduced by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) at the World Junior Championships in Nanchang, China, last September. In last year's edition, Malaysia returned with a bronze medal in the team event. In the individual competitions, Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing bagged silver in the boys' doubles, while Siti Zulaikha Azmi (girls' singles) and Carmen Ting-Ong Xin Yee (girls' doubles) each secured bronze medals.
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
3 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Aaron calls for VAR technology to reduce controversies
KUALA LUMPUR: Aaron Chia has urged the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to implement Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology to reduce controversial decisions by match officials. The shuttler felt that several national players — himself included — have fallen victim to questionable calls, particularly on service faults. Last month, during the second round of the Malaysia Masters, Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai were at the centre of a contentious umpiring decision during their match against Denmark's Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard. While the Malaysian duo were leading 14-12 in the rubber, Kjaer's smash appeared to have gone wide. However, Swiss umpire Peter Meszaros ruled that the shuttle had brushed Aaron Tai's head instead, and awarded the point to the Danes. Had a video referral been in place, it would have shown that the shuttle did not touch Aaron Tai. Aaron Chia said that service judges are prone to misjudgment due to their lower vantage point compared to players on the court. "I think BWF should introduce a VAR system, similar to what football has. For service faults, especially, something needs to be done as the angle from which service judges view can differ," said Aaron Chia today. "Even though the service measuring device is fixed at 1.15 metres, the varying heights of the judges affect how they see the serve." Aaron Chia was also left disheartened at the Singapore Open earlier this month when a critical service was faulted during the final against South Korea's Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae, halting his momentum with partner Soh Wooi Yik. He also called on the BWF to be more considerate when dealing with players requesting medical attention mid-match, noting that not all such requests are made in bad faith. "Some players might use medical timeouts to gain an advantage, but not all. There are genuinely injured players who need treatment, and I hope the BWF takes this into account," he added.
