Playing for another contry!

[Jan]

When players start playing for another country - they don't hold citizenship do they?

They just change there "nationality" by the IBF right - I mean citizenship is not something people are granted just like that. And if a player were granted another citizenship - how can the national associations block them or demand money (like with Zhichao or Taufik)

One of the reasons I am asking is that Pi-Hongyan (no.10 in the world and not on the Chinese national team - living in Denmark) wants to play for Denmark - My first thought was - WHAT?? - It takes 7 years to get a citizenship!

Jan

[Byro-Nenium]

Well at the moment, for Singapore's case, which about 80% of the players are Indonesian. They have given the players PRs which is similar to the US Green Card. PR being Permanent Resident. Not 'pekerjaan rumah'. But anyway, with that they represent the country. Like Indra Wijaya, not sure about Taufik right now. The SBA (Singapore Badminton Association) considers Taufik as 'an SBA employee'.

I believe there are some certain restrictions on the players, but not sure exactly.

[Mag]

Here in Sweden, foreign athletes usually will get express treatment when they apply for citizenship. If they are good enough, it can be a matter of weeks... it's cynical but that's the way things work. I am sure it's more or less the same in other countries. Top-class athletes are always welcome.

[Erik]

The representation regualtions are quite clear.
In order to represent a country, a player:
1. must be born in that country, or
2. must be a citizen of that country, or
3. had his main residence in that country for one year immediately preceding the date of the event,or
4. last represented that country.

For Taufik this means that in order to be allowed to represent
Singapore, he should meet one of the above requirements before
he can play in the Thomas Cup for the Singapore team.

Furthermore, a player can only represent a second country if
he has not represented his first country for a period of two
years.

Mind only international team events, the world championships
continental championships, the Asian Games, the Commonwealth
Games and the olympics qualify as events where players formally
represent their country.

[viver]

What is the statute of a player when playing in open tournaments? Say if Peter Gade competes in All England, he is representing Denmark, or the Danish Badminton Federation and not playing as an individual? Don't remember clearly, wasn't Mia Audina forced to stop and not allowed to play under Netherlands flag in any tournament because Indonesia didn't allow? And she is married to a Dutch national.

[Winex West Can]

I would have thought that country representation are only valid for the tournaments where it's a team tournament like the Uber/Thomas Cup, Olympics, Commonwealth games, etc.

Others like All England, Chinese Taipei Open, etc. are all individual tournaments where the player represent themselves.

Here's the text from IBF rules on player representation

6. INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION

6.1 A player shall be qualified to represent a Member Association providing the player is in good standing with that Member Association and satisfies one or more of Regulations 6.1.1 to 6.1.4:

6.1.1 was born in the country concerned;

6.1.2 is a citizen of the country concerned;

6.1.3 has had his or her main residence in the country concerned for one year immediately preceding the date of the fixture;

6.1.4 last represented that Member Association.

6.2 Having once represented a Member Association, a player may represent a different Member Association for which he or she qualifies under Regulation 6.1, but only if the player has not played for the former Member Association for two years.

6.3 A player shall be deemed to have represented a Member Association if he or she shall have been officially nominated to represent that Member Association and shall have accepted such nomination.

6.4 If a player shall have represented a Member Association and such Member Association is subsequently divided into two or more Member Associations or is absorbed by another Member Association, either politically or by recognition of the IBF, such player shall, for the purposes of these Regulations, be deemed from the date of such alteration not to have represented any Member Association.

6.5 Notwithstanding the foregoing Regulations, in the case of any officially-recognised competitive multi-sport event in which badminton is included, the qualifications for the representation of a Member Association shall be in full accordance with the conditions laid down by such a multi-sport international event, provided however that the above Regulations 6.1 to 6.4 are also not contravened.

6.6 Representing a Member Association is defined as accepting a nomination to be a member of that Association's team in any badminton event where the competition is between teams. However, playing as an individual in a tournament does not count as representation, unless the event has been specifically nominated by the IBF.

Competition between teams includes, but is not limited to, the Thomas, Uber and Sudirman Cups, continental team championships, the Asian Games team championships, the Commonwealth Games team championships, and other international matches or competitions involving two or more Member Associations' teams.

Currently, the IBF has also specified that the World Championships (see World Championships Regulation 5.2) and the individual events at the Olympic Games, the Asian games, the Commonwealth Games, and Continental Championships shall count as international representation. Where players in a doubles pair are from different Member Associations it shall count as international representation for each player.

See Appendix 1, for explanatory chart.