Just be reading the suggestion that badminton could be one of the sports that's moved to the Winter Olympics. Apparently this would easy the presure on numbers at the summer games and allow more sports and more events for those moving. (cyling is mentioned). Maybe this is something the BWF could support. Moving it to the winter games means you could still have the 'old' country numbers but increase NOC spread by doubling the draws (at the moment rediculously small). They cold also add a men's and teams event. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...-cannot-be-staged-at-the-Winter-Olympics.html
join the discussion here.. http://www.badmintoncentral.com/for...move-to-Winter-Olympics?p=2215389#post2215389
Strangely, as a consequence of the recent discussion on the pending demise of Saina Nehwal, with mixed feelings, I think the limit of two is the right thing to do. For China, a bronze medal would be a failure that should be swept under the carpet. But for others, it can be such a powerful adrenaline shot that can change the fortune of badminton in those regions. Case in point, a bronze medal is enough to turn a promising talent, Saina Nehwal, into a shadow of her former self. That's obviously the negative aspect of it. But the positive aspect is that badminton has gained so much ground in India in terms of popularity and money for that to happen. The Olympics is as much a political event as a sporting event. So we do things not with "the big picture" in mind but with "the super gigantic picture" in mind. Taking the long view, putting in the limit of two is the right thing to do. On the other hand, I don't want to see the same happening at the World Championships where the potential banning of the World's number 3 and 4 players would turn it into a joke.
HMindreader is going to blow a fuse going through this again. If you watch the match of Li Xue Rui and Saina Nehwal first set 4-1 to 6-2, there is a discussion on exactly this issue. Big Jim (who once was a very decent player himself) argues for no limit on countries in normal tournaments including the World championship. However, he does say that there are limits in the Olympics and that is because of the IOC. For us in this thread, the gist of it is, no matter how much ranting goes on at BWF, the limit is by the IOC. It's the IOC that has the greater say. If BWF on principle don't like it, and IOC refuses to budge, BWF can always leave the Olympics. Now it does puzzle me why some sports have different limits on numbers of competitors for entering the Olympics. This, I don't think is entirely fair until a compelling explanation comes along.
