Today being Sunday, as usual, I was searching the papers, hopefully to find TV programmes on badminton. Not surprisingly, I found NONE. On analysis, I discovered that our three cable sports channels, Super Sports, ESPN and Star Sports screen a total of 37 programmes on sports, starting from 6.30 am for the first and 5.30 am the next day for the last slot. Of these, 12 slots (32%) were on English Soccer, Cricket (4), Billiards, Motor Racing & Extreme Sports (3), Ice-related sports, American Football & Tennis (2) and the rest one, like Wresting, Darts, Golf, Ruby, Horse Racing and Swimming. Now, on weekdays, English soccer, American basketball (NBA), wrestling (American) and golf (American) are quite common. We really have too much of soccer and American sports programmes but hardly any on badminton despite the fact that so many play the game in populous Asia. What does it tell us? Why is it that badminton, despite its popularity over so many other games shown on our TV is in danger of being "delisted" form the Olympic agenda? Do we need a China, strong in economics and politics, to revive the game and have it televised worldwide to put badminton in its rightful place and not have it regarded just as a backyard social activity for the kids. Or do we need to wake up the American sporting and financial giants to help support the popularity of this beautiful game and beam it to the world at large? Or both? But who controls international badminton and how best can they be convinced about doing it? Your thoughts???
i say bring as many people on the court who dont understand badminton and kicking them 15-0,15-0 after making them run like a dog trying to hit ur shots...
China is having the same problem. not many badminton is shown on Chinese TV. ok, still much better than other countries, but it can be much better. China, like many other countries are infected by a craze of football (soccer). i think one of the few CCTV channels is almost completely dedicated to football.
Supersports is planning to show recordings of China Open on 30/01/03 and 31/01/03 at 8.00 pm local time. If it is telecast ( It says to be confirmed), we'll have to watch it during family reunion dinner.
Ah yes, Loh..... thanks for mentioning that. I was wondering which Singaporean actually does watch all that American Football. Maybe I fail to appreciate the game but to me, it's just a crazy excuse for knocking each other down. Apologies to all American Football fans. EPL is probably more understandable (I was fighting with my dad over the TV just now: he wanted Liverpool and I wanted Shaolin kungfu); personally I don't like watching golf - seems incredibly boring to me (sorry golf players too!) and if there's any reason for viewing Xtreme games, it's in the hope that someone will actually fall off his bike during one of those stunts (man, I feel so evil). Anyway, I hope Bbn enjoys his badminton and reunion dinner coz I'm not having either. Boohoohoo...
