i just added all the sub-forums for the 2008 international tournaments. i cannot help but to notice this crazy schedule in Sept and October: Sept 9-14 - Chinese Taipei (GP Gold) Sept 16-21 - Japan (SS) Sept 23-28 - China (1) (SS) Sept 30-Oct 5 - Macau (GP Gold) Oct 7-12 - New Zealand (GP Gold) Oct 14-19 - Dutch (GP Gold) Oct 21-26 - Denmark (SS) Oct 28-Nov 2 - French (SS) that's 2 months of solid back to back tournaments! 4 GP Gold and 4 SS, and in 3 different continents no less. now that's really good for us badminton fans. i hope the professionals don't try to hit them all otherwise it will be the onset of a lot of injured players. anyway, check it out: http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=190
The 2007 calendat is equally busy sept 4 - 9 : indian open (GP Gold) sept 11 - 16 : japan super series sept 18 - 23 : chinese taipe (GP Gold) oct 2 - 7 : macau (GP Gold) oct 9 - 14 : olympic test event, beijing oct 16 - 21 : dutch grand prix oct 23 - 28 : denmark super series oct 30 - 4 nov : french super series 3 - super series , 3 - GP Gold's and 1 - GP event players and national teams will start prioritising events and tournament organisers will have a hard time having star line ups.... hopefully more of the juniors and second line good palyers will get more events to participate and therefore more exposure
both are good points. ppl will come to a tournament to watch stars to play, but yet these stars are unlikely to enter even a GP Gold event due to the scheduling. on the other hand, it will give space to the up and coming player to achieve better results. can't have it all, i guess.
yep the scheduling does not so justice to 2nd tier tournaments. the top players will prefer the SS and the major tourney's - prize money/ranking points etc being the incentive. but the GP gold events are also fair - think the thai and philippines open were decent in terms of the participation both players and crowds, but yes thought needs to be put in the officials at BWF and maybe look at a better scheduled calendar (too many parties to pacify though....)
This will be good for the juniours to participate in the Gold tournaments. Seniors will concentrate in the SSs.
Just my 2 cents-BWF should consider.. ..adapting a system similar to professional tennis..Have 3 or 4 or at max. 6 selected major/SS tourneys per yr..If certain countries can't come up with a sponsor to provide the required prize money, then other countries which can provide the money should get the nod. And by increasing the prize monies in those selected SS tourneys, it should compensate the less no. of SS tourneys..Considering also that so far this yr, there had been a couple or so instances, in SS tourneys, where players who were expected to participate ended up not attending.. I suggest a minimum of $500,000 prize money for a SS event.. ..yeah, esp. if good prize money is offered as an incentive..But i'm sure players will focus more on tourneys which offer more prize monies (other than WC, TC&UC, SC and Olympics or maybe AG, EC).. Btw, there have been small reports that plans are in the works for a million dollar badminton tournament??..
Btw.. ..i don't see any Super Series Final on the schedule?? i hope they still hold it next yr..Noticed also they've moved up the U.S. Open, a month early, to accommodate the Olympics..But yeah, the last quarter of the yr looks to be quite hectic (9 major tourneys)..
NZ Open will suffer a lot....tough to travel to one continent and the rest of 3 SS/GP are in europe....I can see most of asian/australian/NZ will participate only....
I predict: Pelatnas Main Team will only participate in Japan and China SS+Denmark and French SS. Pelatnas Second Team will participate in the Asian GP Golds and perhaps NZ GP Gold or Dutch GP Gold. Djarum players will probably be sent to the GP Golds, with the exception of Rian/Yoke.
ah, i think it's bad for badminton to pack all these tournaments in so tightly. i do understand the need to have back to back tournaments in countries that are close by to reduce the time and cost of travelling, but 4 SS and 4 GP gold in 2 months in ridiculous!
you do in fact realise that no badminton event or tournament has ever come up anywhere CLOSE to $500k?...in fact, i believe the record is still $50k for the US Open that just passed, but it was a collective grand purse...not individual...so winners collect around $10k or so.... however, on your idea of getting sponsors is a great thought...although, sadly, badminton is a sport which does not receive anywhere that close of recognition as well as sponsors...the main ones you always see in specific big tournaments like aviva in the singapore, proton in m'sia and Black Knight here in canada, they're about the only company/people who do care about badminton...so making a purse of $500k would be an ENORMOUSE incentive to any player...but comming up with the dough is a little on the short side
Yes, there will be one.. ..as heard thru the grapevine, there will be a $500k Grand Prix Finale at end of the yr...at least that's a start.. ..that's why i suggested to just make a min. of 4 major tourneys to a max. of 6 major tourneys (ala in tennis), worth at least $500k per yr, instead of the 12 jumbled SS tourneys-The total amt. of money will come out to be the same anyway if the current 12 SS tourneys are offering a $250k prize money/tourney..Then there could be GPs, GP Golds and other smaller tourneys in between.. Spreading & lessening the # of tourneys per yr. will also help the players to recuperate and be in better fitness..And by doing so, more top ranked players will be able to come and participate-thus people will come and watch...I'm sure gaining a $500k for a badminton tournament is quite possible..Then in the future, have a GP Final which will have a $1 mil. prize-purse money (which, i believe, was mentioned that there have been some talks to do so, recently in an article, by Howard Bach)..
I believe US open is just a 2 star event, which means 50K is no where near to be the top. I believe many other 4-6 star events offer a lot of more in prizes (well, they have to in order to be qualified).
But with lesser SS, which suppose to attract majority of top players for competing... The Badminton Fans will have less chances to witness more great match Fitness is the key point for any sportsman/women. They have to be able to sustain it throughout the whole years in order to make any impact on his career or even earning BIG amount of prizes consistently.
i think bwf understood that the powerhouse countries will be focusing on the 08 olympic and would likely not field their best players much before beijing. It's only smart to cramp them after august.
Hmm.. ..it's quite true abt having less SS tourneys will definitely affect the fans who want to watch the top players competing..But at the same time, there will be other GPs, GP Golds and other tourneys they can participate in.. Abt fitness being a key point for any sportsman/woman, yes, it's true also. But *reality* is, how many of them can sustain a healthy fitness throughout the whole yr. Even LinDan, who is known for his fitness, suffered some minor setbacks prior to the WC and even skipped 1 or 2 SS tourneys. I think the key is, how to keep the top pros healthy and fit so they can come and participate in all the major tourneys?!?! Personally, i'd rather have a less # of tourneys but with all the top players competing, rather than a more # of tourneys but with top players missing in action. Remember also, each yr there will be a major team competition (ie. TC or UC and SC), so those will add more physical demands on the players. Abt players earning BIG amount of prizes consistently, well, again, there are other GPs, GP Golds and other tourneys they can participate (and perhaps win some monies) in. Having say 6 major SS, which i think is plenty, with a total prize money of at least $500k will essentially offset the other 6 major SS. With that amt. of money presented, i wonder how many players will think abt skipping??.. In all, i think there's always somekind of a way/work around..
i stand corrected about the US open grand purse, and i do believe in time, there will be a grand purse of that stature...but like it or not, injuries happen all the time...and it makes some great unknown or lessly known players to be allowed to have a chance to show his/her abilities, as when if there was all the top players/seeds, they may have not...which is why i believe having these amount of tournments at back to back weeks is great to test the fitness of these atheletes...and yet, provide them with more of a chance to gather more points for specific things like OG or WC seeding...and they always have a chance to withdraw, but again, comes to the discretion of the players and federation/club/country they represent...
Imo.. ..actually those lesser known/seeded/unheralded players do have a chance to compete with the top players..Did you watch the recent WC and know Anup Shridnar beat Taufik??..Or WMC upsetting XXF?.. One has to take into consideration also all the travels these players have to go through-going from 1 place to another..Financially speaking, wouldn't it be better also to have a lesser travel schedule for these players/national bodies and have them rest/train more??.. The current BWF tourney format, IMO, seems to be geared more to players whom are physically fit enough and/or national bodies which are financially secured enough to finance their travels throughout the yr.. Realistically, how many of those players can do so?? Or how many national bodies can sustain such demands??.. As for gathering point for specific events like OG or WC, i think it could be done by participating in other "smaller" tourneys.. Now, which one would you prefer, having a WC or OG with top players/seeds not at 100% or worst not present because of injuries OR having all the top seeded players present and ready to go to perform their best??..And like you mentioned, injuries do happen..
