Latest news with #Super1000
New Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Wei Chong-Kai Wun shrug off Istora jeers, eye stronger comeback
KUALA LUMPUR: Men's doubles ace Tee Kai Wun is not losing sleep over the hostile reception he and Man Wei Chong received during their Indonesia Open semi-final recently. The world No. 7 were jeered by a packed Istora Senayan crowd when they took on home favourites Sabar Karyaman Gutama–Moh Reza Pahlevi in Jakarta. The Malaysians eventually went down 21-18, 12-21, 21-18. But rather than dwell on the incident, Kai Wun is choosing to take it in stride. "I didn't see it as a big deal. The home fans were probably just trying to support their players by getting into our heads and disrupting us mentally — that's normal," said the 25-year-old after a training session on Friday. "But honestly, we've never experienced anything quite like that — at least not to that extent. It was overwhelming, but definitely something we can learn from and try to handle better moving forward. "Maybe the crowd was trying to break our momentum, especially since we had done quite well in the last two tournaments in Indonesia. But it's part and parcel of playing in front of a passionate crowd. We accept it. "It's really not a huge problem. Every player goes through this kind of pressure at some point in their career. Other major tournaments — like the World Championships — can be just as intense. Ultimately, it's on us to manage the situation and stay focused." Known for its deafening atmosphere, the iconic Istora has long been regarded as one of the toughest arenas for visiting players, especially Malaysians, due to the longstanding rivalry between the two nations. Despite the semi-final exit, Wei Chong-Kai Wun have been enjoying a resurgence of form. After a string of four early exits since March, the duo roared back to life by winning the Malaysia Masters Super 500, reaching the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open Super 750, and making the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 — all in the space of three weeks. "We've got a month to prepare for Japan and China," said Kai Wun, referring to the back-to-back Japan Open (Super 750) and China Open (Super 1000) next month. "We need to fix our shortcomings from the past tournaments. We have to push ourselves in training, no matter how tough, and make the most of the next few weeks. "We're definitely a better pair than we were in past years, but we've got to work hard to keep this going and stay consistent. We can't afford to let our guard down and flop in Japan — that would undo all that we've built recently. "If we want to move up in the world rankings, we have to start getting better results at the Super 750 and Super 1000 events. We'll get our chance to do that next month."
New Straits Times
18 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.
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Bigger Worth Finally
Give us a break: Viktor axelsen has earlier called for a change to extend the competition days to give shuttlers some breathing space. PETALING JAYA: A long-overdue change may finally be on the horizon for badminton players. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) are considering key reforms starting in 2027, including extending the duration of tournaments and significantly increasing prize money, moves that are expected to benefit players worldwide. Former world No. 1 men's singles shuttler Roslin Hashim believes the proposed changes are timely and much needed. 'This should have been done a long time ago but I'm glad BWF are now looking into it seriously. These are positive developments for the players,' said Roslin. In particular, the increase in prize money is viewed as a crucial step forward, as badminton players continue to earn considerably less than athletes in other racquet sports, such as tennis. BWF are currently proposing to raise prize money for tournaments from 2027 to 2030. For example, prize money for top-tier Super 1000 events like the All-England is expected to increase from US$1.45 million to US$2 million. 'Badminton is a globally popular sport, and we can see its growing influence, especially with several players becoming household names. As one of the most widely followed sports, it is only fair that the players are paid accordingly. 'Although the US$2 million is not a huge amount, since it is the total prize money that will be split among podium finishers across all five events, it is still a positive step forward,' said Roslin when contacted. He also welcomed BWF's proposal to extend the duration of Super 1000 tournaments from seven to 11 days, adding that the format changes could create more excitement for fans. Under the new structure, the men's and women's singles events will feature an expanded field of 48 players, up from 36. Instead of the traditional knockout format, matches will be played in a group stage format, similar to what is used at the Olympic Games. Earlier, two-time Olympic Games champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark had also called for change as one of the advocates stressing the need to extend the competition days to give top players some breathing space. However, the doubles events will retain a 32-pair knockout draw. 'I find this format interesting because lower-ranked players will still have a chance to advance to the knockout stage, unlike the current format,' said Roslin. 'If they lose their opening match, their journey doesn't end there — they still have the opportunity to bounce back, instead of being knocked out after just one match. 'This will also put pressure on the top players, as the lower-ranked ones are capable of causing upsets in the battle to finish as one of the top two, or to claim the sole qualifying spot from the group stage into the knockout rounds,' he added. At present, the All-England, Malaysian Open, Indonesian Open and China Open are the four tournaments with Super 1000 status. The players are hoping for changes in how they are handled on court during medical emergency and the standard of umpiring and lines calls.
New Straits Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Xin Yee hopes her idols Pearly-Thinaah stay with BAM
KUALA LUMPUR: Rising women's doubles shuttler Ong Xin Yee has her eyes firmly set on a dream debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and is looking to her idols Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah for inspiration. Xin Yee, 19, and partner Carmen Ting are ranked world No. 42 and are making steady progress. The pair have already gained valuable experience playing in top-tier tournaments, including Super 500 and Super 1000 events. Their best showing this year came at last week's Super 1000 Indonesia Open, where they reached the second round — a result that has left the teenager pleasantly surprised. "I didn't expect to reach this level so fast after juniors," said Xin Yee. "But watching and sparring with seniors like Pearly-Thinaah really motivates us." World No. 3 Pearly-Thinaah continue to train under the BA of Malaysia (BAM) banner, despite uncertainties surrounding their future. Their previous contracts expired in December, and although negotiations remain at a standstill, BAM has continued paying their salaries — an indication that both parties may yet find common ground. Xin Yee, meanwhile, remains grateful for their guidance. "Pearly-Thinaah are my idols. We see them win titles like the Thailand Open, and we get inspired to follow in their footsteps," she said. "It's very exciting to train and play with the top players as we can learn a lot from them." Asked if she hopes the senior pair remain under BAM to continue mentoring the next generation, Xin Yee didn't hesitate: "Of course!" With her sights on LA 2028, the teenager remains grounded, choosing to take things one step at a time. "Of course, qualifying for the Olympics is my dream, but I try not to think too far ahead or stress too much. "If I can, I want to play — that's always been the dream." Xin Yee-Carmen are now hoping to break into the world's top 32 by December — a breakthrough that could open the door to higher-level tournaments and a smoother Olympic qualifying path. While acknowledging that there's still a gap between them and the world's elite, Xin Yee is determined to bridge it. "Our ability and standard aren't quite the same yet, but we're chasing the top pairs and hope to be like them one day." With top role models, growing exposure, and a clear dream in mind, Xin Yee is on the right track in her Olympic pursuit.
