Shuttlecock war hurts Olympic status
Shuttlecock war hurts Olympic status
Richard Eaton, Agence France-Presse, Birmingham, England
One of the father figures of professional badminton has claimed
that a battle of power between Europe and Asia is threatening the
sport's Olympic status.
Tom Bacher issued the warning on Sunday just hours before he
was voted out as vice president of the International Badminton
Federation.
He was replaced by former world champion Rudy Hartono of
Indonesia.
Bacher, who helped badminton make it into the Olympics 11
years ago, said: "Europe feels that Asia is trying to dominate.
"If Asia gets its way all the time, just kicking people out of
the IBF council, then the council will be too weak and not able
to contribute and keep the game in the Olympic program."
The Dane justified his sense of foreboding by alleging that
the removal of himself and other Europeans from the council would
mean the loss of more than 50 years of experience.
And the decision to put forward candidates to oppose vice
presidents like him seeking re-election has "never happened in
the history of the IBF," he claimed.
In contrast to Hartono another Asian candidate for the vice
president elections Raj Gaya, the council's African
representative from Mauritius, withdrew his name before the vote.
Bacher is concerned that European influence on the IBF council
could be eroded altogether.
"History says vice presidents are people who have devoted many
years work to the IBF, but Asia believes that all continents
should have a vice president and that it matters where people
come from.
"Asia could have the presidency (Korn Dabbaransi of Thailand)
and three vice presidents, while Africa, Pan-America, Europe and
Oceania would have one each. That's the way Asia believes it
should be. I believe there should be a better balance."
Asian leaders point out that most of leading players, a
majority of leading tournaments, much of the television and many
of the sponsors, come from Asia.
But insiders within the IBF have even suggested Europe could
consider breaking away if the power struggle continues to go
against it.
European nations, supported by Australia and Canada and the
European Badminton Union, recently fought a winning battle to
throw out a new scoring system, imposed by the IBF council, which
they considered to discriminate against women.
It was followed by Thailand withdrawing from the Sudirman Cup
world team championships in Eindhoven, Holland, in March,
alleging that the draw had been improperly made, and then by the
SARS-related postponement of the world championships in
Birmingham in May, despite the British Ministry of Health
pronouncing it safe to proceed.
Three decades ago the sport was divided into two governing
bodies, delaying its bid to join the Olympic movement.
"One of the issues we had at that stage (in the 1970s) was our
Olympic inclusion and I am absolutely certain that we would have
made our debut earlier but for that," reckoned Bacher.
"I would not draw a parallel with when the game was split -
that's premature. But if we don't work together we may risk our
Olympic status and that would be disastrous."
Badminton, which has nearly 150 nations affiliated to its
governing body, made a successful Olympic debut at Barcelona in
1992. For the first five days before the athletics began, it
achieved higher international television viewing figures than any
other sport - most of them in Asia.