why do all the major badminton tournaments (TC/UC/SC/WC) only happens once every two years? in many other sports, their world championships happens every year. but instead badminton chooses to have those championships and cups once every two years. now that the WC is over, i have to wait two long years to see it again. wouldn't it be nice if they treat us extreme badminton fans to one edition of those every year? from the point of view of the players, it is hard to time peak their performance if the championships are sparse. may be by the next time around, they will not be as good anymore... thoughts?
i have to agree with you. but if you look at it the other way around, maybe they make it every 2 years so it gives them time tons of time to do training..give opportunity to other nations to develop their players ?!
I think what yonexfanatic say is true. More time to train and get new blood. Like World Cup every 4 years. Unless if you want TC/UC/SC/WC every four years? Its also good because it will make it an prestigious event.
I would think if it were every year it would detract from the signifgance of winning these tournaments. Because a lot of people win different tournaments how many people can say they are a world champion, it kind of makes it less of an achievement if it were every year. To keep the WC special I would have it every 4 years
thomas cup used to be every 3 years and ties were played best of 9 matches. in 1984 the IBF decided to change to 2 years and changed to format to best of 5 matches.
Cheung is referring to badminton WC, and I confirm that it will be every year from 2005 onwards (except the olympic years). This means there will be WC in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, etc... About the TC/UC/SC every 2 years, I think it makes them more prestigious than if they took place every year...
I think a gap of 2 years in the WC and 4 for the Olympics is good as it makes for a special tournament. Otherwise it'll just turn into another yearly event like all the Opens. But as someone's pointed out the WC's are going to be a yearly affair from 2005. Pity.
I second Dill here. The significance is higher if you can't always win it. Imagine having TC champions every year, it will make it sound like another one of those normal GP tournaments. The stuff such as past rivalry, old scores to settle are more profound after years had passed.
But if its every 4 years.. it would be hard coz the players might change. And some might not have to chance to come back and get the title in 4 years time if they looses. I think every 2 years would be good enough.
That's why it should be difficult, if a different player won the singles every year then everyone could be world champion, if you spread them out over time it makes the achievement greater because it puts more focus on the event and makes it more prestigious. The only other thing is like cycling, once you win the worlds in that you can wear the multi coloured bands on your sleeve for as long as you cycle, there are a lot of cyclists in the professional tour with them, it detracts from the significance.
I think all the "IBF events" such as WC, TC, UC and SC etc. should be held once every two years. And if the IBF wants to hold an individual event in even year when there is no Olympics, it can take a "World Cup" competition which has been cancelled since 1997. The IBF can reform the old format of World Cup which was more like the format of the IBF Grand Prix Finals which has been cancelled since 2000, and the IBF can use the format of the Qlympics such as the total of 172 players taking part in this competition and then more players/pairs can play in 5 events, so the competition will be more drastic than before. The Olympics can be regarded as "World Cup" that year, so the IBF will have one team competion and one individuai competition every year -- in even years TC & UC and Word Cup/Olympics and in odd year SC and World Championships. If so, the "IBF events" can still be "prestigious" but once yearly. Moreover, I also think the IBF should continue to hold World Grand Prix Finals yearly. If so, we will have one team comprtition (TC&UC or SC), one individual competion (WC or World Cup/Olympics) and a World Grand Prix Finals yearly, and adding to All England Open, these will construct our badminton's special "four grand slams" yearly but different from tennis' one (just four individual events). All the "IBF events" above are no prize and just give players honor and points. And all the "IBF Individual events" such as WC, World Cup/Olympics and World Grand Prix Finals must be regarded as a 7 star tournament.
I think the problem with increasing the frequency of events, apart from the reduced significance, is that it distorts the record books, initally the worlds were every three years, then two, now three out of four. For instance Morton Frost only had three chances to be world champion, and failed. Modern players may get six chances in the same period! Similarly in TC/UC, China may dominate for the next five years, it would give a false impression if they increased their all time wins by five in each cup in that time.
