Yeah, retain 12 SS tournaments is good idea to create this category more exclusive than other level (even tennis only has 4 grand slams with of course huge prize money). Ideal host countries of 12 SS : - Asia region (5 SS -- CHN, JPN, INA, IND, MAS) - Europe zone (5 SS -- DEN, ENG, FRA, RUS, SUI) - PanAmerica (1 SS -- CAN or USA) - Oceania (1 SS -- AUS), a significant breakthrough if one BWF SS tourney will be held in Kangaroo country since badminton is very minor sport there. Africa -- hmm, this continent is still struggling with its economy problem despite upcoming FIFA World Cup will be held in RSA because football is the most popular sport in our planet.
Dude, you really have a sense of humor! Ha ha ha... I can't bear to drop the Korean SS... I will miss the stories of their heralded linejudges... Australian Open Gold GP should be enough for badminton... Oceania is often considered as an overall Asia-Pacific member nowadays. Even the Australian soccer team is playing in the Asian region nowadays... So, in my view, 6 SS in Asia Pacific [CHN, JPN, KOR, INA, IND, MAS] is just right. Complemented by Gold GPs [currently Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Philippines and why not still have China Masters as a Gold GP event instead] and 2 GPs [currently Vietnam, NZ]... Future Asia-Pacific Gold GPs: Australia, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Iran; they have the $$$ to do it... and Vietnam [trust me, they won't settle with just an International Challenge and a GP. When they're ready, they will have a Gold GP + GP instead]. Future Asia-Pacific GPs: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia [instead of Indonesia Challenge], Brunei and Myanmar... Err... lastly, I think the Swiss SS should just be Swiss Gold GP. I'm sorry... Swiss is just way too unappealing as a badminton market... GER SS makes more sense...
GER and POL have been making lots of "noises" in badminton, esp with their experienced and proven doubles. They should host at least one GP Gold or one SS.
If you just based on geographical size and market alone, Singapore is way too small for anything of substance, not even a relatively insignificant event like the SS. Thank goodness, those who know and in a position to make things happen in the world do not share your view. Otherwise Singapore does not warrant her recently acquired success in: 1. Winning the right to host the F1 this Sept, the first F1 night race to be held in the world, 2. Winning the privilege to host the first Youth World Olympics in 2010, even beating a world giant in physical size, market size, political size, population size, nuclear size and what have you, Russia! and Singapore has also won many other world "firsts" despite her insignificant tiny size. So I think your theory is floored right from the start!
You may have forgotten that Singapore was part of the Malaya team that caught the Europeans by surprise when their combined team knocked the day lights out of the Danes in their first Thomas Cup adventure. And Malaya was the first Asian team to show the Americans and Europeans how really good the 'diminutive' Asians are at this racket game. Indonesia was not even in the picture then, I think. And it did not take long for Singapore's Wong Peng Soon to capture the unofficial world championships then, the All-England, in the MS and for a number of times, the last when he was 38 years old! Together with Ong Poh Lim, they made the world look up to tiny Singapore and you think we do not have a tradition or in your view, "an accomplished world-level track record".
Meanwhile, does anyone know if India Open will have tourney software, by some turn of events?? It's still not in the tournamentafotware site.
Krisna you're brave to suggest dropping Spore for SS. What has size gotta do with it as long as we can come up with the prize money? Plus we had a crowd attendance of 8,000+ in one final before. What's INA seating capacity? We have first class,painless, online website access for fans worldwide.And if SBA is smarter thinking this year, they will arrange for livestreaming FREE! What about INA's? We have very low tolerance for incompetence. If umpires. line judges and referee don't know their jobs, the crowd tells them and helps them think straight.We don't wait for a BWF commitee to make some awfully embarrassing decision 2 months later. What else do you expect of a first class tournament?
Having attended 2 consecutive Singapore Opens, I would have to agree that the tourney is professionally run and enjoyed sizeable crowd size. Incidentally, Team INA also happens to do quite well, winning at least one title for the past 3 years. May this good result continue! I am still deciding whether I will attend this year's Singapore Open...
Wah, I have to agree that INA's organizational capabilities have been terrible... No arguments there... Well, I just have a different opinion on where SS tournaments should be held [thus encouraging the growth of badminton there]. If the quota is still 12, then I stand by my opinion. Big countries like Russia, India, and USA are where badminton's future should be. For me the amateur badminton participation of as many humans as possible is key to growth in overall $$$ and attention towards badminton. Prize money, TV interest [thus TV ratings etc.], and professional player's overall income etc. will follow...
Ya-loh, but there will be Semi Finals & Finals live on GD SPorts : Sat, 5 April 2008 : 9.30 am to 2.30 pm GMT, that is 5.30 pm to 10.30 pm Msia time Sun, 6 April : 9.30 am to 2.55 pm GMT, that is 5.30 pm to 10.55 pm Msia time http://www.pprecorder.com/tvguide.php?channel=Guangdong+Sports&year=2008&month=4&date=6
