City hosts badminton contest



The world team badminton championships are to be held in Glasgow - the first time it has been held in Scotland in a decade, it has been announced.

The Sudirman Cup tournament will take place in 2007, bringing millions of pounds of revenue to Scotland.

Sports minister Frank McAveety welcomed the news and said it would showcase Scotland to a worldwide audience.

Well it looks like the 10 strong delegation has done their bit for Scottish badminton!

Was there any information leaked about where in Glasgow they might be held?

2007! I'll probably miss them; I sure don't want to be still in Scotland in three years time.

National Badminton Academy in Scotstoun

While that seems like the obvious choice, I thought they might have considered hosting them at the Gorbals Leisure centre :D or at one of your fine churches; who minds that you can almost touch the ceiling with your racquet and the lines are painted across the feet of pianos round the odd radiator and occasionally on the backwall itself? ;).


National Badminton Academy in Scotstoun

That's why the Academy was built!

I have the sneaking suspicion that there are not enough seats if people turn up en mass!

That's why the Academy was built!

I have the sneaking suspicion that there are not enough seats if people turn up en mass!

Congratulations Scotland and to you too, Dill! :) As far as we are concerned here, you are the voice for Scotland, so please keep us updated from time to time on the progress of this project till its completion in 2007. Maybe kwun and Janet will make a special effort to represent BF with kwun Jr tagging along as well.

Your lack of confidence in the seating capacity, however, comes as a great disappointment. I was hoping the whole world will have an excuse to converge in Scotland and the Cup's timing should coincide with Scotland's world famous annual tattoo! Then I would be very tempted to visit as well, that is if all goes well.

Maybe you should round up the baddie boys and petition for a larger indoor stadium! :D :D

I'm not sure about the capacity but it can't be far off 500-750, oh well :rolleyes:

At least we've got some world class badminton coming to Glasgow and what better way to let the beginners and kids see how the game is in reality! Let's hope it is marketed well!

There has been a lot of critisisms recently because the funding is waining in Scotland and is only covering certain things and full squads are sometimes to many to fund for competitions but this time the money used to send the delegation to Indonesia and bring back the competition can not only bring revenue but market Scotland as a badminton country, we do not have world class players but we can all dream!

Loh - here is your first update!

I think the one on the far left is pretty but her dad (second from the right) failed me on one of my coaches awards :(

Hilary Atkinson (BADMINTONscotland Bid Co-ordinator), Joe Aitken (Glasgow City Council Head of Events), David Barr (President BADMINTONscotland), Dawn Hodge (UK Sport Major Events Consultant), John Swanson (Glasgow City Council Head of Sport and Leisure), David Williams (Chief Executive EventScotland), Carole Barr (President's wife), Colin Atkinson (BADMINTONscotland facilities & technical adviser), Paul Bush (EventScotland International Event Programme Manager).

Photography by Raphael Sachetat

Hi Dill

Thanks for your first update and an introduction to Scotland's badminton personalities on the management side. You're pretty efficient and I wonder how come they deny you your coach award. That must have been sometime ago and I hope you have been compensated since then.

Maybe you will appear in the picture as we approach nearer 2007. Why not make it happen? :)

National Badminton Academy in Scotstoun

Is that the same place as the 1997 World Champsionships??

http://www.scotbadminton.demon.co.uk/scottishbadmintonunion.htm

according to this article the event was held at scotstoun leisure centre, not sure if this is the same place.

Congratulations Scotland and to you too, Dill! :) As far as we are concerned here, you are the voice for Scotland, so please keep us updated from time to time on the progress of this project till its completion in 2007. Maybe kwun and Janet will make a special effort to represent BF with kwun Jr tagging along as well.

i had the same thought! the moment i saw the announcement about Glasgow and Madrid, i asked Janet, "want to make a Europe trip?" .... but no answer. :)

i think it is nice to have the big tournaments in different countries every year, avid badminton fans will be able to follow them and visit different places all the time. so i wish i can be retired and be able to do that!

UPDATE 2:

Cheung and James,

The Sports centre is on the left hand side of the first picture and the new Academy is on the right hand side if you virtually split the photo down the middle. The sports centre is where the World Championships were held.

Loh,

The second picture is the inside of the main hall, the Academy is split into two sections (i) the first has 4 courts all in a row which joins onto the second hall (ii) the second hall shown in this picture has two rows of three courts, which you can just see in the photo.

If you look you can see the rows of pull out chairs and there is another set along in front of the other row of three and another in the first hall with the four courts. If the seats are pulled out you lose the first court in each section limiting from 10 courts to 7.

I still don't think there are enough seats.

This is what you get for £3.5 million.

Hmmmmm ... wonder if there's enough interest to get a BF meet going for this tourney? :D

-dave

I expect they will just do the same as they did for the Scottish open - that is, reduce the number of courts. I don't see it how it could be a problem; at the All England 2004, there were usually only 2 matches on at once.

The courts at the Badminton Academy are the best I've played on; it's a pity that the only two good (and purpose-built) badminton venues in Glasgow are so remote and difficult to get to.

Where is the other one?

Where is the other one?
Near tae' yer hoose :D .

I expect they will just do the same as they did for the Scottish open - that is, reduce the number of courts. I don't see it how it could be a problem; at the All England 2004, there were usually only 2 matches on at once.

The courts at the Badminton Academy are the best I've played on; it's a pity that the only two good (and purpose-built) badminton venues in Glasgow are so remote and difficult to get to.

After reducing to two courts, they may be able to put extra temporary seating. But, it means booking your tickets early for the finals.

The headlines will say "Sudirman Cup is a sell out success in Scotland"....:)

After reducing to two courts, they may be able to put extra temporary seating. But, it means booking your tickets early for the finals.

The headlines will say "Sudirman Cup is a sell out success in Scotland"....:)

Ha..Ha..

I can see the papers now

" both atendees were more than happy at the seating arangements" they were that close to courtside they could smell the glue melting as the shuttle flew past their faces at speeds of up to 3,000mph"

Aparently there is plans to put up marquee's and to use the sports centre next door as in 1997, but there are rumblings that certain other city centre venues will have to be used.

After reducing to two courts, they may be able to put extra temporary seating. But, it means booking your tickets early for the finals.

The headlines will say "Sudirman Cup is a sell out success in Scotland"....:)

no, they'll say shidhirmhan chup his ha shell hout shuchess hin Schotlhand... :p

i had the same thought! the moment i saw the announcement about Glasgow and Madrid, i asked Janet, "want to make a Europe trip?" .... but no answer. :)

i think it is nice to have the big tournaments in different countries every year, avid badminton fans will be able to follow them and visit different places all the time. so i wish i can be retired and be able to do that!

Well Janet will ask in a slightly higher tone: "Which is more important, Europe or Kwun Jr?" So you must convince her that you are talking about 2007, more than 2 years away, and if she is agreeable to enjoy both, you two must start the production line in the not too distant future! There are benefits to raising a family earlier than later! :D

As for retiring prematurely, you need a bit of luck, like winning a lottery otherwise, just like me, you just have to go on working and thank your lucky stars that you can still continue to do so.

Hi Dill, thanks again.

It must be an optical illusion, as the hall ceiling seems to be low and the lights staring at your face. I think the lights are lined up in between the courts and not directly overhead. If the Cup is to held here now, the seating capacity seems very limited indeed. Hope they can do something about this before the big day. :p

This is tremendous news!!!

It looks like I will be planning a vacation out to Glasgow, to meet up with a few of our BF friends, and also some old friends I have not seen in a few years.

-Kelvin
PS: The picture of that badminton academy made my jaw hit the ground... some people are truly spoiled when it comes to the wonderful facilities you get to play in :p I would settle for having a net up, with proper lines drawn up :D

City hosts badminton contest



The world team badminton championships are to be held in Glasgow - the first time it has been held in Scotland in a decade, it has been announced.

The Sudirman Cup tournament will take place in 2007, bringing millions of pounds of revenue to Scotland.

Sports minister Frank McAveety welcomed the news and said it would showcase Scotland to a worldwide audience.

no, they'll say shidhirmhan chup his ha shell hout shuchess hin Schotlhand... :p

And the best thing is that the Badminton Academy is only through the Clyde tunnel from your favourite area of Glasgow - Govan.

You can go on a site seeing tour!

A sight-seeing tour of Govan?:eek: How fun can spot the junkie/ single teenage mother/ alcoholic tramp/ and the rest of the dregs of society which seem to accumulate in such areas be? (No offence, to anyone who lives there).

Loh, I think it's the angle at which the photograph was taken and that the exposure has been pushed at least a few stops which makes the ceiling seem low and the lights excessively bright. The ceiling is actually higher than you could conceivably need (or be able to hit the shuttle) and the lights are perfect; at the other badminton hall (in Govan), there is also strips of soft halogen lamps running parallel to the tramlines; unlike the lighting at regular sports halls (such as the one at which the Scottish Open was held), this type of lightly absolutely never affects your vision while playing.





And the best thing is that the Badminton Academy is only through the Clyde tunnel from your favourite area of Glasgow - Govan.

You can go on a site seeing tour!

That's why I called it a SITE seeing tour!

Does that mean I have to sell my house and move on Mr Fan?

Update 3:

http://www.scotbadminton.demon.co.uk/worldchampsbidgallery.htm

Posted yesterday, slight humour included :rolleyes:

any idea on prices?

It's not for 3 years yet :rolleyes:

hehehe......i know...saving up:)

hehehe......i know...saving up:)

Well you've got plenty of time :D

by looking at the picture only, it doesn't seems professional enough.
the floor looks strange, and the way the light is arranged could blind people.
let alone there are not enough seats.

is this the main venue or may be just one practice court?

unfortunately it looks like that will be where the main games are played and the practise courts will possibly be in the old centre where there is another 8 courts available. The lighting isn't all that bad, its worse in most sports centres, there is more courts on the other side of the picture but they are basically the same as the ones pictured. It definitely looks like there aren't enough seats, but there is a viewing gallery, but not sure if there is a viable way to use it!

by looking at the picture only, it doesn't seems professional enough.
the floor looks strange, and the way the light is arranged could blind people.
let alone there are not enough seats.

is this the main venue or may be just one practice court?


Oh dear god it's been a while :eek: I see the emoticons haven't changed!

Doesnt seemprofessional enough, well lets just say everything in that particular building is state of the art and leave it at that, as far as i know it was purpose built to house these kinds of events with every eventuality taken into acocunt.

You are quite right bout the lights, on certain courts they will blind people playing down the lines but the luminocity can be altered by having difering amounts of bulbs on in eachone so i'm sure they have done their research!

This is the primary venue!

unfortunately it looks like that will be where the main games are played and the practise courts will possibly be in the old centre where there is another 8 courts available. The lighting isn't all that bad, its worse in most sports centres, there is more courts on the other side of the picture but they are basically the same as the ones pictured. It definitely looks like there aren't enough seats, but there is a viewing gallery, but not sure if there is a viable way to use it!

Unfortunately????

There are not many places in the world where there is a puropse built centre like that outside the far east, if you even travel within the UK there is none better!!!!

The English national academy is a pale shodow of a venue with only 6 courts and bad lighting and court markings, do have to say their changing rooms are nice though, although there are changing roomin the Scottish academy that the public do not and never will have access to and are for the squad players only.


I have a sneaking suspicion that the entire centre will be used as it was the last time for the world championships in terms of warming up courts and early round venue, ahhh...... Sun Jun V's Peter Ras, what a finale. The usual matting will be put down and the seating will come out to make the venue a super arena, the further the competiton goes on the less courts will be needed and you will see exactly how many seats can be fitted into the academy!!!!

But then again what would i know? ;)

Well you've got plenty of time :D

Not now! Only less than a year now! :D I hope I'm going too! :D MONEY!!! :D

...and cover the event other than our local BC/BF members: Dill, laura9876543??...hehe;) :) :D :cool:
closer:yannie, Baderz_Jas, Mag, Jan_BE, jerby??,
a bit further south:jamesd20, ynexfan2003, other, elwin81??...
BTW, can't believe this thread was started in 2004 and the event is almost here within a few more months..;) :cool: :)

yannie, Baderz_Jas, Mag, Jan_BE, jerby[/i]??,
a bit further south:jamesd20, ynexfan2003, other, elwin81??...


I think I am closer than Mag, Yannie, Jan_BE, plus I don't have a sea in the way!

There are quite a few members in scotland (I think ynexfan2003(?)) plus a few in newcastle/northumberland.

I will be there, although the tickets are not cheap (More expensive than AE)

I think I am closer than Mag, Yannie, Jan_BE, plus I don't have a sea in the way!

There are quite a few members in scotland (I think ynexfan2003(?)) plus a few in newcastle/northumberland.

I will be there, although the tickets are not cheap (More expensive than AE)
..aih, aih, that's right, jamesd20....sigh(blush)...i must've typed too fast and forgot to re-arrange them correctly(i knew something wasn't right after i posted that)...pardon all..:p :( :o :D

No problem, I take it you are not into geography!

Are you coming?

No problem, I take it you are not into geography!

Are you coming?
...hehehe, i knew Scotland(cos i've heard of Scotland Yard etc.) was up there somewhere, but must've gotten a bit confused as i was typing quite fast and doing another task also..:p
..as for me hopping on a plane and flying over to Scotland/UK, hmm, maybe next time...i'm warming up for the big WC next yr in M'sia...hehe;):p :) :D :cool:

I was planning to go there as a line judge (you know - line judges are guys who have the best sitting in the arena for free), but I need to think a little more about this.

During such a event there is a lot of work and it is sometimes cruel that you are on the court where the boring match is played whereas just behind your back is an interesting one.

...hehehe, i knew Scotland(cos i've heard of Scotland Yard etc.) was up there somewhere, but must've gotten a bit confused as i was typing quite fast and doing another task also..:p
..as for me hopping on a plane and flying over to Scotland/UK, hmm, maybe next time...i'm warming up for the big WC next yr in M'sia...hehe;):p :) :D :cool:

We'll be waiting for you in KL, including me, a Singaporean! :D So come prepared! I suppose our Malaysian friends will treat you less severely as what was meted out to LB. ;)

I'll be there as i will be acting as a hostess for the event.

should be quite exciting to meet some of the players that i have seen in matches on TV on stuff!

You can't turn round in anywhere with a badminton court these days without seeing advertising for the event! I was playing in a church hall in the north of Glasgow on Sunday and they have a board up there too

I was planning to go there as a line judge (you know - line judges are guys who have the best sitting in the arena for free), but I need to think a little more about this.

During such a event there is a lot of work and it is sometimes cruel that you are on the court where the boring match is played whereas just behind your back is an interesting one.

You'd be quite lucky to even do that as the normal policy of Badminton Scotland is to give these types of positions to local volunteers, any kind of hospitality, transport, meet and greet etc. Anything that will scale down the costings so they can plan a big PR push and scale up the hospitality side of it which is where they invest the money.

At times it's quite discusting that the current players are treated like crap in favour of the establishment pushing to host big competitions and the internal politics is rife with nepotism and sniping.

I just wish they'd fund the players more rather than pushing for these competitions, rather than Scots players having to fund their own way to the world champs or not even entering a team in the commonwealth games.

I hate what the organisation is doing and the way it treats people!

If only the people that give up their free time to do the whole hospitality side of things realise exactly how the funding is being spent and to what cost to the game in Scotland is in decline because of it.

I'll be there as i will be acting as a hostess for the event.

should be quite exciting to meet some of the players that i have seen in matches on TV on stuff!

You can't turn round in anywhere with a badminton court these days without seeing advertising for the event! I was playing in a church hall in the north of Glasgow on Sunday and they have a board up there too

Actually you can if you play badminton outside of Glasgow.

I think you'll find there is a vested interest as Badminton Scotland have won this event by being hand in hand with Glasgow city council and it's funding, remember the Academy in Scotstoun (the venue) was built in partnership with lottery funding and Glasgow City Council money. The event was won by the large promises by Glasgow City Council and their funding!

At times it's quite discusting that the current players are treated like crap in favour of the establishment pushing to host big competitions and the internal politics is rife with nepotism and sniping..Seems no different to a lot of places in the world.:crying:

It's a good sign that there's so much interest in the sudirman cup here that the thread has spanned almost two years. I better get tickets sorted for it fairly soon.

It's been quite a long time since I last visited BF (or even seen Dill. What are you up to these days? Are you going down to the AE? I got a new, bigger, car and am taking a couple of people down with me; a few others are coming down in another car too).

See you in another four months maybe when the sudirman cup is starting. ;)
I'll probably take photos and may post them here.

It does seem like an age has passed, i pretty much keep away from all things badminton now in favour of just about anyhting else, its quite hard to watch people play if you can't :(

The scene just isn't the same any more

Badinton is pretty much over for me at the moment as you know but i dont think i can bring myself to even bother with the SC this year after all the bother with the powers that be.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the tickets are not selling well

...and cover the event other than our local BC/BF members: Dill, laura9876543??...hehe;) :) :D :cool:
closer:yannie, Baderz_Jas, Mag, Jan_BE, jerby??,
a bit further south:jamesd20, ynexfan2003, other, elwin81??...
BTW, can't believe this thread was started in 2004 and the event is almost here within a few more months..;) :cool: :)

Chris, I can't go :crying:.........
Due to final exams :crying:............

It does seem like an age has passed, i pretty much keep away from all things badminton now in favour of just about anyhting else, its quite hard to watch people play if you can't :(

The scene just isn't the same any more

Badinton is pretty much over for me at the moment as you know but i dont think i can bring myself to even bother with the SC this year after all the bother with the powers that be.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the tickets are not selling well

Are you still having knee problems? Are you getting physio.?

I had a second knee operation at the start of December. I'm hoping to start back in a couple of weeks.

You should come to the All England just for the fun element; you can even sip your whiskey and irn bru from a flask on the way there :p.

I don't see why the sbu would affect your decision to go to the Sudirman cup, but I see where you're coming from without endorsing it for obvious reasons; sometimes liaising with them seems akin to palaeontology.

Oh, and how's the bird? Is she still playing?

Are you still having knee problems? Are you getting physio.?

I had a second knee operation at the start of December. I'm hoping to start back in a couple of weeks.

You should come to the All England just for the fun element; you can even sip your whiskey and irn bru from a flask on the way there :p.

I don't see why the sbu would affect your decision to go to the Sudirman cup, but I see where you're coming from without endorsing it for obvious reasons; sometimes liaising with them seems akin to palaeontology.

Oh, and how's the bird? Is she still playing?

Yup she's still playing - she's in the uni championships this coming weekend and i'm hoping she plays well!!!!

Because i was private with my knee before i can't do it agian and have to wait for teh good old nhs to catch up, the only good thing is that the consultant is the same one as it was when i was private so hes getting me in for the mri's at the end of this month - still waited nearly a year for those :(

Whatever the results it is continaully buckling under no pressure and always locking out so it looks as if at teh very least i have to do some major leg work and add that to putting on nearly 4 stone it's a hell of a ob to get fit again especially when told not to do anything. The physio had me in so much pain from doing nothing that i could barely walk for about 2-3 days after a session lasting 30-40 mins :(

And after the way the SBU has shafted it's players it doesnt even deserve this tournaent.

I think I am closer than Mag, Yannie, Jan_BE, plus I don't have a sea in the way!

There are quite a few members in scotland (I think ynexfan2003(?)) plus a few in newcastle/northumberland.

I will be there, although the tickets are not cheap (More expensive than AE)
Yeah, I live < 10 miles from Dill.

Think i might have been right about the ticket sales as the arena has never been any more than a quarter full, had the comp been in Asia somewhere it would be full all day every day.

Have seen some great games, saw Jonas and Lars win it for the Danes last night and England beat Malasia on the first night of play.