All reigning title-holders should be given the opportunity to return . The problem is BWF did not state it in their rules/conditions. It says that everyone has equal opportunity to qualify (regardless of previous tournament results); and hence we have this problem. My message to BWF is to have it stated in their rules/conditions, that "All reigning title-holders should be given the opportunity to return to defend their titles". .
Yes, Lin Dan has a good chance to win here. It's the same as London Olympic 2012, where I thought Kido/Hendra should be given wild card too . . . It's for the good of badminton game and viewers.
I believe that that BWF deliberately worded it such to give flexibility to the decision. It is not 'a problem'. Only people who disagree have 'a problem'. BWF would have had to meet and discuss the issue. Amongst those BWF people, there would be some who agree, some who disagree and some who abstain. Our poll looks to be confirming the decision by BWF with more who support Lin Dan getting a wildcard, some who disagree and some who abstain.
I voted yes. Nothing to do with LCW chances, but we always like to see good display of badminton game. If LCW won by defeating LD, it's even better for LCW.
I voted no. Why? I feel like in order to promote World Championships, they took away from other countries. Even if he wasn't given the wild card, I don't think there's much doubt that he would've qualified on his own means anyways. But by giving him the wild card, it just led to Lin Dan withdrawing from every other tournament last second. They gave him the wild card to keep viewers and ratings high for World Championships, but at the cost of other tournaments not getting to see Lin Dan play since he doesn't need to qualify. It's not that I have anything against Lin Dan, or me wanting LCW to win. I just felt that publicity wise, it gave a hit to other tournaments who could have had Lin Dan play in them so that he would have to qualify.
This wildcard is just the right thing that is working in Lin Dan's favor... just like when Liverpool got a wildcard in the 2006 champions league... nothing can stop Lin Dan now.... homecrowd advantage... LCW too tired and not trying hard anymore after marriage... bla bla bla.... it's just the right tonic for LD again this time... I hope to see his robot dance after the final in Guangzhou again too...
Pardon me for saying this, it seems to me your argument and decision against the wild card for Lin Dan is based on an afterthought and/or with the benefit of hindsight. In the fist place,how are we to know Lin Dan would skip those few tournaments, namely INA SSP, SIN SS, and US Open GPG, after the BWF awarded him the wild card, even if you don't accept his reasons for withdrawing from those tournaments, not to mention he wasn't the only one to miss out on one or the other of them (we know who else was absent from the SIN Open and US Open, for example, Lee CW only played in the INA SSP because it's compulsory for a top 10 player,what with the heavy USD5K penalty)? (Those other earlier tournaments like the GER Open, AE,etc, which Lin Dan skipped were before the wild card offer which he couldn't have known beforehand.) More importantly, the aforementioned tournaments he withdrawn from don't count to the WC qualification as they fall outside the deadline http://www.bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=24526 : Phase one Thurs, 25 April 2013: World ranking date to determine those eligible to enter Therefore, those tournaments Lin Dan skipped have no direct bearing on the wild card issue. To me, the much more relevant and important question is:'Do we want the wild card to be granted to Lin Dan or someone else ranked, say, 150 - 200 ?' Bear in mind,it's the World Championships we're talking about, where all the best players in the world contest to vie for the world title, unlike the Olympics where winning isn't everything but participation, and so on and so forth. In the words of the legendary Morten Frost, the co-commentator during the last Sudirman Cup,'If Lin Dan doesn't qualify,who does?' I'd venture further to say, contestants like Lee CW or Chen Long or any other player worth his salt, would feel a lifetime of regrets if they didn't win the world championship by beating Lin Dan or at least with his participation, whatever form of Lin Dan notwithstanding - imagine, had Lin Dan forgone this WC (by turning down the wild card) or announced his retirement prior to it. Surely, nothing can do better than promoting the WC in having Lin Dan - fail to see how or what 'they took away from other countries'. Simply put, no player deserving of fighting for the world title should be denied on a mere technicality, and no one deserves it more than Lin Dan. That's what the wild card is for, to address the problem,whatever the motivations or reasons; just the poll outcome here alone, so far, is telling enough. No necessity for me to elaborate more by going over the same grounds so aptly expressed by various BCers in support of it. Perhaps,looking ahead,when all is said and done, come August when finally either Lee CW or Chen Long or anybody else for that matter, gets to be crowned World Champion, they might be thankful for Lin Dan's wild card and appreciative of BWF's prudent decision. Just a friendly exchange of opinion, thank you.
Honestly, I don't wish to see Lin Dan stay away from too many tournaments, I'd even loathe it. Hopefully,after the WC, he resumes playing in the next few events to elevate his ranking and ,if possible but I've to admit it'd be too far-fetched, maybe just scrapes through as the 8th qualifier for the year-end Superies Finals.
I voted No.. Simple.. Without playing any tournament for more than 8 months and getting away with the ticket is like jackpot. Anyhow, BWF might have taken this tough decision in order to get more sponsors as the tournament is going to be happened in china. No probs.. Anyhow happened is happened.. He is also preparing excellently well for the championships (Courtesy: Some of the videos i have seen training very hard in the gym and practicing on the court)..Players Who play world championship for the first time and also who gonna meet him will definitely get a good learning experience.
If LCW is in Lin Dan position. I would still vote a no. Can't abuse it. It is as good as going for a dope and still able to play.
Sorry,you mean taking dope (performance-enhancing substance) and still allowed to play? Who, what sport,where, how did it happen,when ??? What warped logic and distorted analogy is that ! It befuddles me for I simply cannot see any connection or relevance with Lin Dan's case, however hard I try. I don't suppose you're implying that the 70%+ who voted yes don't have their heads in their right places !? Wonder whose head(s) should be examined.
However hard I try I can't see the connection between Lin Dan and Ivanisevic either yet it is your #1 argument . At least he tried and showed up at tournaments ... ... comparing World Championships to regular open tournaments ... -smh- ... comparing reserves to wild cards ... -smh- Ans yes 70% is thinking with 2 inch wood. If you are so hot for the possibility of LCW vs LD, pass the hat around and put up a million USD for a best of three mano-a-mano . Maybe next year Jan Jorgensen will take a sabatical after picking up that $90,000 he wants at the IPL, joined by BoMo and Fischer Price because after all the WC 2014 is in Denmark and it would be a commercial failure if they didn't qualify . That said, I am not completely opposed to the home organizer having a wildcard for the WC. It just so happens this isn't the case right now according to the current regulations. BWF stepped up instead and performed a 180 on their earlier comments. I also don't blame Lin Dan for taking a break. It makes complete sense after an Olympic cycle and there should be more room for everyone to take a decent break which their hardly is with this calendar. Of course arguably 3 months after the OG is more than enough for anyone ... And he is in a difficult position with the WC held in China and him being the face of Chinese badminton to refuse the wildcard (or perhaps they mistakenly thought they were entitled to one from the beginning). But it's all behind us now anyway so ... whatever . I am not even going to watch it ...
I must give a like to what you said though we voted differently. .... what you said just like this is another scorpion2..
Badminton: Lin Dan, Chong Wei on world championships collision course Published on Jul 22, 2013 10:15 PM HONG KONG (AFP) - Badminton superstars Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei are on course for their latest major title showdown after being placed in opposite sides of the world championships draw on Monday. Lee, the world number one from Malaysia, had feared a meeting with his Chinese nemesis in the early rounds after the reigning world and Olympic champion entered the tournament on a wildcard. However at a draw in Guangzhou, Lin and Lee landed in different halves of the field, meaning they cannot meet before the August 11 final in the southern Chinese city. "Super Dan" has beaten Lee in the last two Olympic finals and in the title match at the last world championships in 2011, when the Chinese ace lifted the trophy for a fourth time.
Blame it to the draw! Blame it to the draw... it should have put LD vs LCW in the 1st/2nd/3rd round for the sake of every one thus removing all the doubts and other insidious forethoughts It will be interesting to see if a poll is raised here querying "is it better to have LD vs LCW in the 1st/2nd/3rd round i/o the current draw?"
Another poll? Followed by long and boring verbosity posts by LD fans? Let them compete first, then talk.
