your point is well taken. it's another aspect to the system. but, if you run the #'s & $'s it's still a tough road from a team's $ point of view.
let's say a team sends 10 to 20 athletes to a ss/p tournament and they all flame out early, before 1/4's. obviously a financial loss. even if 1 wins, is it enough to cover the whole team/staff expenses? (air, lodging, food, etc.) not by much. lcw certainly isn't making enough to pay for the rest of the team's current state of sucking, haha!
now picture the big teams entering gp & gp gold level, which you have to do in order to work your way up to ss/p level. you end up entering a lot of gp/gold level. they are a money loser over 99% of the time. this is why athletes will sometimes have no coaches present, to save $. 10-15 athletes traveling in pursuit of way lower prize money. singles winner makes $9,000. scary, eh? someone better win to offset the team's cost of making the trip!
by the time an athlete has reached ss/p level they haven't won enough money to cover the costs of getting them to the ss/p level. so, yes, you want to get there asap but 99% of them will never recoup the association's total investment in their career.
http://system.bwf.website/documents... - ANNEXURE A DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZE MONEY.pdf
[it's the same distribution for gp/gold]
if you look at the $ breakdown tables you wonder how teams make $. well, they don't. they are supported by local companies & gov't. i guess you could say the athletes are employees of non-profit organizations.
what about the team's/players that don't get gov't/corporate help? exactly. you can only name a few. and they are barely making a living.
