Opening of World Badminton Foundation Offices

I believe you are not saying he has created a niche industry and powerhouse within it in badminton. What he does in other non-badminton industries like education has no bearing here. We already have hundreds of billionaires who put in billions of dollars into the education industry, and we want to keep them out of badminton. Our Li Ka Sing in Hong Kong has probably put into education a hundred times more than Mr Kang, but thank God he doesn't run the show. Do you know what will happen if they put in billions and want to run the show? I would prefer they hand over the billions and have no say in running the foundation or show.

 

WBF to BWF is quite similar to KLRC to BAM...

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I tend to agree with you Oldhand.

As I have said in my 2 previous posts...

(1) What I see about "WBF to BWF is quite similar to KLRC to BAM". and
(2) "I can see that Kang has a genuine interest in Badminton at heart".

But what kwun have posted is also true. If Punch and Kang were not in conflict, Kang could/might have ploughed his monies on to BWF.

IMHO, because of their conflicts, Kang has decided to create WBF and to allocate his monies there.
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But Bill and Melinda Gates are not the president and executive vice president of the BWF. To be honestly above board and to not have any conflict of interest, perhaps the WBF under Kang should be put into a blind trust type of foundation with no badminton-related big wigs to run it. Or better still, transfer the funds to the Gates Foundation, which I am sure will be as fair to all receipients worthy of any funds and will guarantee that no money will go into badminton.
The crux of the problem is the perceived real intent and the element of conflict of interest. To dispel these is simple. But I don't believe it will be done, given the personalities.
Or we can take the example of the Shantou University in China, which is being funded almost comlpetely with billions of US$ by Li Ka Shing, who has utterly no say in how the university is being run. The running costs of the university are being met from tuition fees and a Li Ka Shing-donated large power plant's profits, making the university self-supporting. Here is a classic example of a foundation's funds (for the whole university construction and power plant) being wisely used with no say from the donor in the running of the university.
BTW Li Ka Shing has also donated some funds to the Singapore University and I am sure he has no say whatever in how the university is being run. At best he gets his name on a building.

 

Yes I share taneepak's view that there should be no indication of any conflict of interest or animosity between the donor and the beneficiary such that the donor can apply pressure on how the beneficiary should run its operation.

As stated by taneepak, the key personalities in WBF are or have been involved in the running of BWF. Having failed to influence the majority of BWF Council members they, led by Kang, are now trying to establish another competiting organization under the guise of donating money to badminton's cause just to outshine and make things difficult for the world body, BWF.

Their money politics seems to have worked since it appears that they now managed to influence some Council members to their cause.

 

Okay, it's Mr. Kang's pet project then and not an independent foundation. It's Mr. Kang's private enterprise. He is accountable to himself.

 

I hope that organisations like this appear n get into business,to do their job..to make badminton a better sport,not just hanging their name on the wall n do nothing..

 

I feel the same and I think I can help the game of badminton, if only I had more funds. I would like to build an indoor badminton hall with 50 courts but my request for funding to the Jockey Club was ignored. Perhaps the WBF or the BWF can be sympathetic?

 

Could Dr. Kang not simply change the name of the Foundation to "Dr. Kang's Foundation for Culture and Education"?

As far as I can read the Foundation is supporting other activities than badminton. Of course a pity for badminton to lose the close connection to the Foundation and possibly funds.

Perhaps some other sports or worthy organisations would be very happy.

 

As someone has pointed out, Mr Kang could have used another name instead of Badminton to show that his Foundation is in support of all sports, etc and not badminton in particular. But the fact that he purposely chose Badminton showed that he still has an axe to grind with BWF for not supporting him as President and worse still to try to force him out of the world badminton body. He is now trying to use his wealth to change adverse perceptions and support.

Regarding KLRC and BAM, these two organisations are at club and country level, not international. Therefore any conflicts between them would not be that demaging to the world badminton community.

KLRC started off quietly but over time the club managed to woo and 'buy' over top players and coaches because the club, or the people behind the club, has the money to do so. It is good that KLRC used some of its money to sponsor tournaments, to develop young players, to give additional incentives to "off-shore" players like Peter Gade and Taufik Hidayat to wear its club colours.

But it is quite different when Cheah Soo Kit decided to leave BAM as national women's coach to cross over to KLRC. Or even worse now that Hafiz is doing likewise, not only to BAM but also to his own club started by the Sidek brothers. The support and training offered by BAM and his own club all these years meant nothing and KLRC can now benefit because they could offer better incentives!

I could see the conflict and the silent animosity that such incidents and arrangements are creating and it will burst out to the fore in time to come.

 

As a foundation to promote sports, education, and culture on a global basis a disbursement of US$1.25 million per year is actually peanuts. Its own administrative costs will eat up almost all of it, that is if they hire professional administrators who are experts in the field of all sports, education and culture. Badminton administrators are not the people who should run this foundation. Do you think they will recruit and hire the necessary expertise?

 

One of my friends has investigated who the people in the photo are. They are indeed badminton people from Africa, Asia, Europe, PanAm and from Yonex.

However, it is apparently only one person that is involved in the Foundation. The rest are simply guests for the opening ceremony.

So Taneepak please check your sources. They might be better than mine!!!

 

Thank God we have such a generous person trying to promote Badminton

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IMHO, many BCers in this thread are questioning Mr Kang "Why are you so generous to Badminton?". Just because he is the President of BWF, those BCers are suspecting "dirty play/tactics" from him.

Perhaps, if Mr Kang is not the President of BWF, those BCers would say "We welcome Mr Kang for being such a generous person trying to promote/sponsor Badminton".
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Yes that would be a different story, but the name WBF is still misleading.
And he should have done so much earlier instead of now when he is unpopular and on the verge of being evicted from his President seat.

Having heard so much of the internal squabbles between Mr Kang and his BWF Council members for the past year or so one could not help suspect that his latest act is meant to show how powerful and "effective" he is in "wooing" people over his side.

And I also wonder whether Mr Kang made any proposal of his Foundation when he was actively the President of BWF. If he did not indicate any hint of his generosity then and try to do it now, how do you expect people to hold unsuspecting views of him?