Badminton Netherlands

[demolidor]

"Honoured" to start a dedicated thread on a low . As the Olympic Committee had decided to focus the available funds on a more select few sports with Olympic medal hopes for Rio and 2020 they have been reviewing the applications for funding for the next Olympic cycle. One of the major casualties turns out to be Badminton who have their funding for the elite section cut from an aproximate four hundred sixty thousand euro a year (€460.000) to a whopping zero (€0)!
The elite section were already running on a loss and budgeted to do so for 2013 as well by -€250.000 (expenses: 886.000; income: 636.000).
Main reason cited by the NOC: lack of high performance atmosphere (coupled with poor past performance and lack of prospects for 2016/2020).

In case you will be wondering where the Orange are in the coming tournaments ...

[demolidor]

Should add they will be let down "gently" with €44.000 in 2013 and €22.000 in 2014 to zero thereafter ...

[**KZ**]

I think the netherlands have some promising players...just needs more exposure

[demolidor]

I think the netherlands have some promising players...just needs more exposure

Who do you have in mind? There are some talented players yes but nobody is a potential medal candidate (certainly not in the current climate) which is what the funding is for, not just to put players in the Olympics. NOC wants medals, not tourists ! Judo and swimming therefore get increased funding amongst a few other sports. I don't get however why football is still getting a piece of the pie, €300.000 even iirc. If any federation doesn't need funding it is the KNVB ...

[LD rules!]

Great to see demolidor your country has decided to support Chess, Darts and Korfball (what the hell is that?) over badminton.

Sports that aren't even Olympic ones are being funded yet badminton haven't.

Understandably, Jacco Arends, Jorrit De Ruitter, Ruid Bosch etc etc are devastated and have expressed that through words (which I can't post here) through twitter.

The qualification standards to reach the Olympics were already ridiculous, and with most players already travelling and playing on a shoe string budget things won't get any better the Dutch players always play well on the European Circuit so to completely destroy their funding after setting ridiculous Olympic standards is rubbing salt in the wounds.

[demolidor]

There are different types of funding and technically it is NOC + NSF (Netherlands' Sport Federation) so they are responsible for all sports in the Netherlands, not just the Olympic. This was about the funding for the elite program's and those sports do perform on a world class level. Netherlands in Korfball are like the USA in American Football , it is practically netball but with mixed gender teams and played in two halves of the court in which a part of each team is either defending or the attacking team in that half of the court (can't cross the half). Only competition is Belgium with Taiwan and Czech Republic distant chasers [need to merge with netball federation ]
Checking the list, darts and chess are not even on it so idk which idiot tweeted that (chess is in the same funding category to which badminton has been demoted and darts is even below that)

Other NOC's are just soft and the official's probably just want to tag along so they dish out the funding left and right to secure their tickets .

Anyhoo, the badminton federation will try their best to scrape together the necessary funds for the elite program. Many critics were hoping for an overhaul in the organization and get some seriousness and new blood into it #realitycheck . A sense of urgency was much needed imo compared to what I see in other athletes in other sports around here (to get back to badminton something like the spirit of a Meulendijks and Schenk for example).

[LD rules!]

Maybe my google translate isn't working so well then! my Dutch only goes as far as basic phrases and "mind your step!"

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens next, who'll have funds to continue an who'll disappear (inevitably it will happen)

[demolidor]

I do see Chess now actually: "Chess - Men's" in the talent category of funding. For the federation's elite program, they are in the same category as Badminton.

Bridge is also on the list and Checkers

[LD rules!]

I do see Chess now actually: "Chess - Men's" in the talent category of funding. Must be for an individual ... For the federation, they are in the same category as Badminton.

Bridge is also on the list and Checkers

See, the person wasn't ranting rubbish about chess then! It's true about chess being funded. individual funding is still better than 0 funding

[demolidor]

But all these "talents" failed completely at the WJC unlike these chess players probably (and International Challenge tournaments are a long way removed form competing with the world's best). I see one of the chess girls won a silver medal at the WJC in between a Russian gold and bronze
Not sure if the talent funding is restricted to junior players but the players are not the only criteria [of course there are some talented players in the NT but don't see them as potential medal candidates in Rio or Worlds]. Also the whole setup has to meet the criteria and this is where it failed. I mean the sponsorship issue hasn't gone unnoticed for one, although it has been solved now, and putting all the €ggs in the doubles' baskets for London 2012 and failing in all categories to qualify by BWF standard doesn't exactly scream *we deserve to be funded*.

[demolidor]

On top of that Yonex might end their sponsorship as well which will be decided this month and the federation cannot stay at the Olympic training center Papendal anymore and use their facilities after this season. A lot of the players were living there as well (on their own cost) ...

But hey, Jie made it without NOC funding (for traveling to tournaments)

[kateean2]

Great thread! Also my favorite view.

[vixter]

Is it safe to say that Yao Jie is now completely retired?
Or will she still play for her danish club?

[demolidor]

Jie is still playing in Denmark so far yes .