Latest news with #MalaysiaOpen
New Straits Times
17 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?
New Straits Times
3 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
11-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
We can't fund everything, choose tournaments carefully, Yeoh tells NSAs
KUALA LUMPUR: The fate of the Malaysia Cup squash tournament, scheduled for Aug 17-23 this year, remains uncertain as the organisers are struggling to raise funds to host the event. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh stressed that the government has limitations when it comes to helping fund the organisation of local tournaments and urged national sports associations (NSAs) to pick and choose their events wisely. "We always want to try our best to assist, however, we feel that associations also have to play their part," said Yeoh yesterday (June 10). "The association must clearly plan how many events they want to do each year and determine which one is their priority. "We have been supporting squash for other tournaments." Yeoh, however, urged the organisers of the Malaysia Cup to speak to the ministry's secretariat for possible assistance. "We have matching grants (to support the organisation of events) but it does not cover 100 per cent of the costs involved to organise the event," she added. "It is a 50-50 split which means both the government and association must play their part. "With every grant there are papers you have to submit (which takes time to process and approve). I am not sure if there is enough time. "These are all logistical challenges. If they speak to our secretariat, I know our secretary-general (Dr K. Nagulendran) will try his best to help them." PSA have given ACE Sports and Management - organisers of the Malaysia Cup - until the end of next month to secure sponsorship. They need roughly RM1.5 million to run the event. The Ministry's Sports Matching Grant programme offers grants of up to 50 per cent of the costs to organise an event, with a ceiling of RM1 million. The Malaysia Cup, formerly known as the Malaysia Open, was first held in 1975. It is one of two major tournaments held in Malaysia over the years, alongside the Kuala Lumpur Open. The Malaysia Cup competition, which has been held at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara since 2007, has played an important role in aiding the development of Malaysian players over the years. It is seen as an important tournament to help boost Malaysia's preparations for an assault on the podium at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, when squash will make its Olympic debut. Squash legend Datuk Nicol David has won the tournament a total of eight times. Malaysia's current top players Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari have also won the tournament previously.
New Straits Times
06-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Soon Huat-Shevon offer tactical tips to beat in-form Thai rivals
KUALA LUMPUR: Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai fell once again to Thailand's in-form mixed doubles duo, Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran — but not without leaving valuable lessons for compatriots Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei. The world No. 5 were outplayed 21-16, 21-12 in Friday's Indonesia Open quarter-finals — their fifth defeat in six meetings this year against the fast-rising Thai pair. Soon Huat-Shevon, who have struggled to cope with the relentless Thai attack, now hope Tang Jie-Ee Wei can succeed where they failed in Saturday's semi-final against the same opponents. "They're very consistent and keep a high pace throughout to pressure us," said Soon Huat. "We just couldn't keep up with their speed." That speed and precision are the hallmark of Dechapol-Supissara's partnership cince they teamed up in October last year. In just eight months, they've rocketed to world No. 6 and already claimed five titles, including the Malaysia Open (Super 1000) in January and the Singapore Open (Super 750) last week. While Dechapol needs no introduction — he won the 2021 world title with former partner Sapsiree Taerattanachai and once topped the world rankings — it's his chemistry with Supissara that's caught attention. Supissara, who previously had limited success with Supak Jomkoh, has clicked immediately with Dechapol to form one of the most dangerous combinations on tour. "Compared to when Dechapol was with Sapsiree, his partnership with Supissara is faster in front-and-back attacking transitions," said Shevon. "With Sapsiree, their game focused more on rotation. She was strong defensively. But Supissara brings a more traditional mixed doubles approach — the woman at the net, the man at the back. "Dechapol is high-energy. He does everything — backcourt, frontcourt, defence, midcourt. They switch tactics constantly and have so many options. That's what makes them hard to handle." Shevon also admitted her own inconsistency proved costly. "My performance wasn't as stable or consistent as I wanted it to be," she said. "We gave away too many easy points. I need to reflect on that — especially when we're playing back-to-back tournaments." Soon Huat-Shevon will now take a short break before returning for the Japan Open and China Open next month.
New Straits Times
06-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Tang Jie-Ee Wei oust Euro champs to reach Indonesia Open semis
KUALA LUMPUR: Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei showed great resilience to battle past Denmark's Jesper Toft-Amalie Magelund and book their spot in the Indonesia Open semi-finals on Friday. The world No. 4 fought back from a game down to prevail 17-21, 21-16, 21-14 in a tightly contested quarter-final - their first-ever meeting with the world No. 8 reigning European champions. It is the Malaysian pair's third semi-final of the season after earlier runs at the Malaysia Open and India Open in January.
