Badminton to jazz up image for new fans

Badminton to jazz up image for new fans

Agence France-Presse, Anaheim, California

The International Badminton Federation (IBF) says it needs to transform its image from one of a backyard barbecue activity to a sport of global interest like Formula One auto racing.

"Our target is to promote the game to the audience," IBF deputy president Punch Gunalan said. "We must show countries like the United States that badminton is exciting and not just a garden game.

"We should be like the Grand Prix racing series where thousands of people from overseas will come to watch the games."

Gunalan said they plan to get the makeover started with striking new measures, like revamping the scoring system, introducing a world league and staging major competitions in state-of-the-art venues.

Gunalan, here for the world championships that ended on Sunday, said the IBF needs to broaden its approach to marketing and stop pandering to a small sector of voices who cling to tradition and old-fashioned ideas.

"Badminton has been taking care of the small minority. We must start to look at big changes," Gunalan said.

"We are taking the initiative. We have been putting too much emphasis on things like the perfect venues. We are looking at bigger venues."

Gunalan said they also want to change the scoring by moving from the current system that awards a point only on serves to a system awarding a point for every rally. Gunalan said this would cut the time of the average game in half.

They are also looking at determining a winner after 11 or 21 points for all the events. Currently a winner is decided after 15 points for men's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles; women's singles is to 11 points.

"The television people are telling us the games are too long and it is too hard to predict how long they will last," the Malaysian said..

He said a letter would go out next week with the details so they can get some feedback before the IBF council votes on the matter at their next meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Dec. 9.

The IBF is also looking at introducing a world league by 2009 that would feature eight teams in two groups competing in home and away matches.

Gunalan said he wants to wait until after the 2008 Beijing Games before starting the new league, which would have team sponsors and cash prizes.

Gunalan called the Anaheim worlds a success, saying they averaged between 5,000 and 6,000 spectators a day, although some organizers were initially reticent about having the event in a 14,000-seat venue.

It was the first time the worlds were staged in a U.S. venue. The Americans also won their first medal in history -- a gold in men's doubles.

"I think it is the best worlds we have ever had," Gunalan said. "The (U.S. gold) was a great bonus for the game."

But he said the absence of a title sponsor meant the event's organizers lost money, although he could not specify the amount.

Next year's worlds will be staged in Madrid while the 2007 event is scheduled for Malaysia.