Li Na, a former badminton player, had to give up her badminton dream because of fierce competition, has just won the french open at Roland Garros, collected €2,000,000, which is more than 200 times bigger than badminton super series winner can get. This win, is equivalent to Lin Dan or LCW won the super series more than 200 times, plus the cost of winning for Li Na was just 1 trip/hotel expenses, while 200 times super series will cost 200 times more on travelling expenses which left badminton prize money not much. I am wondering many badminton players in China will give up badminton, and becoming a tennis player soon. Imagine that, a 3rd class badminton player in China could be the best top notch tennis player in the world! And earn 200 times bigger, and if substracted the travelling expensese, could be more than 500 times bigger.
I thought French Open, LN gets €1,200,000 Anyway, pro tennis players pay everything on their own while baddy players' expenses are covered by CBA. Now bring in basketball and Yao Ming's NBA contract, that dude has not won anything yet or even played this year so he is doing much better than any CHN athletes since he makes miilions for not even playing On rich payout in tennis, there is rich TV broadcast contracts and full house expensive attendance tickets to pay for them. In return TV gets their investment back and much more from advertisements, selling broadcast rights all over the world, etc, etc.....So until baddy captures TV interest, this baby has a long way to go. Separate business from sports
I don't think she could be called as a badminton player She may only play badminton as a kid. Around 13? but she played tennis when she was 6. not sure which sport she spent more time on. She looks stronger than most current China national team player.
are gonna talk about Li Na the badminton player or Li Na the tennis player in this thread?? just wonder...
In fact, tennis is different class than badminton If you want to be a rich athelete, tennis is one of a solution
In tennis (and table tennis also) single event both MS & WS get more Prize Money. The double events may have only a half of the singles get. While in Badminton the Prize money have to divided equally in all 5 events MS, WS, MD, WD, XD. Also in tennis and table tennis the players often plays both in single and double events so they can earn more money. Of course they who get better achievement in singles event earn much more compare to ones better in doubles event. Some players even can play well in singles and doubles event. In badminton it's only happen back in time before 80's period. There's no chance for now
If you want to be a rich athlete, Tennis is better . True. Earlier this year I started a thread titled: Professional Players going Professional (on their own - without their National Associations) and Li Na was used as a prime example. At our 2011 Australian Open, Li Na was asked what drove her to victory in the semi-final over world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki, saving a match point en route; and Li Na answered: "Prizemoney". Read more: http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php/93949-Professional-Players-going-Professional .
Regretfully, badminton is seen to be controlled by the more dominant "third-world, less-developed, economically poorer" Asian countries. Even with the changed image of "capitalist" China, prize-moneys are "minuscule" compared to the "first-world, economically and technically advanced" Western world. So we may have to wait for China and the other badminton-dominant Asian countries to become economically advanced first-world countries to match tennis one day. Be patient and wait ... wait...wait...
It's not how rich or economically advanced a country needs to be to do well in sport . Disagree. It's not how rich or economically advanced a country needs to be to do well in sports. Here are some examples; * Cuba excels in Boxing * Jamaica excels in Sprinting (Track and Field) * Kenya excels in Marathon * etc, etc, ...... And not all sportspersons do sports just for money. .
I'm not saying that small countries cannot excel in sports. Indeed there are exceptions as what you have pointed out. In fact, on its own, China is able to compete in hitherto unfamiliar sports and able to compete with the giants in the game as shown in the last Olympics. And China will continue to excel in sports for the benefits that superiority in sports will bring to the country in many respects, including politics, economics and social. I'm saying that to excel in publicising of their sports world-wide as a giant business they should emulate the marketing methods and networks of the advanced countries of the West. How is the West able to turn tennis into a multi-billion dollar business compared with badminton, another racquet game, is something which BWF should try to emulate. Same with soccer that has captured the imagination of people around the world, rich and poor, young and old, men and women. Then many professional badminton players will not have to eke out a living to continue in the sport they love.
Some people who chose sport as their occupation be caused no choice for other occupation. Unless, they will be unemployment... So, their destination is money for living. Just my own opinion...
Money cannot buy us everything . Yes, it shows that money cannot buy us everything. Football (Soccer) in the USA was promoted extensively, with much money spent over the last few decades. USA did made an improvement in Soccer (increasing the number of fans/players/followers), but somehow USA just couldn't make Soccer as popular as American Football. And here, if Li Na can make Tennis popular for China, then the Tennis National Association of China should be happy that they have done the right thing; that they have allowed Li Na to leave their association to go on to participate her own. .
I m so happy for Li Na. She s also popular with the crowd, both in Australian and French Open. So refreshingly frank and uncluttered in her mind. Although 29 years old is considered old in tennis, she refuted it, saying she still feels young. In fact, with sports science, nowadays, certain physical strengths can be maintained. What that cannot be sustained, like speed, will be compensated by experience and a calmer attitude. She looks incredibly solid and strong, both physically and mentally. Her physique is so well toned she looks beautiful. Part of the credit in her progress must go to her foreign coaches for AO and FO.
I'm not sure whether Li Na needs the official blessing before being allowed to go independent. I'm also thinking of the many Chinese badminton coaches being employed overseas and whether they need approval as well.
i think that playing tennis definitely earn more $$ than badminton, but tennis is not an easy game to play. i dont mean badminton has low difficulty, but tennis-easily injured, face a lot of physically stronger player from all over the world... but however, i'm like so proud when an asian chinese could reach the top beating world class player. SUPERB!
you can check the wikipedia, Li Na was deemed a badminton player when she was 6. Li Na's father Li Shengpeng (李盛鹏) was a badminton player who determined to train Li Na as a badminton player. When Li was 6 years old, she became a badminton player (not a tennis player), but her coach kept telling her that she looked as if she were playing tennis when she was playing badminton. By the time she was 8, her coach asked her parents if she could switch to tennis, finally she did begin to play tennis at the age of 9, while kept playing badminton. After her father died when she was 14, she completely switched to tennis. “In badminton, they use a lot from the wrist,” Li said as she demonstrated the arm action. “But I use a lot from the shoulder.” That's the reason her coach told her and her parents that she's not suitable for badminton. When Li was 8, the coach asked her parents — “They said, ‘What’s tennis?’ ” Li said.
i actually read somewhere that li na switched to tennis at 6. doesnt really matter, looks like that she made the right choice.