Its not meaningless at all. In fact, there's very important dialogue that needs to be addressed, not to mention there is a large cultural divide between Western sporting values and Chinese ones that goes a long way to explain why Australian audiences are clearly not as excited as you are .
You know,I'm actually extremely reluctant to respond but I'm just an ordinary mortal,not a sage,what to do.
First off, I strongly feel that the so-called 'very important dialogue that needs to be addressed' should begin with you and yourself or your own kind. Why don't you start a thread to discuss,debate,argue or even commiserate or rant and rave over it instead of 'littering' all over the place? I'm no psychologist/psychoanalyst though I've read a bit of Sigmund Freud and lately curious about Jacques Lacan, so I can't point you in the right direction.
I'm aware you've opened a thread on why you believe nationalism is bad and,you know what, I tend to agree with you - see my location where I say I'm a citizen of the world (following Socrates),in other words, I'm an internationalist. But nationalism is a complex subject,it has its uses,both good and bad, and problems, eg it can go dangerously wrong leading to dire consequences as happened in the prelude to the Second World War in Germany, Italy and Japan.And I won't be naive to think nationalism can be abolished or diminished when there is the one true sole superpower in the geopolitical world that is bent on dominating the world on her own terms for her own self-serving,national interest. How is the United Nations Organization ever going to become a World Government one day? Dream on.
Sorry,I digressed.Chinese badminton supremacy is,as I've often said, benign and her contributions irreplaceable,immense and to be applauded. All this she achieved playing by the rules set and governed by the world badminton body BWF. I believe practically every member association in CHN's shoes would have done everything within the rules allowed to maximize their chances of winning even if one of the rules set such as the Olympic qualification spots is against her - I read that Peter Gade didn't in a similar (yet somewhat different) situation but that's him, the important point is no rule was broken. When I hinted that I'd bear PG's words in mind I was referring to his stand on what CHN did was a cultural thing, no need to make a fuss over it. Besides, that the great,legendary Peter Gade himself paid the highest tribute to Lin Dan whom he considered the greatest ever by inviting him and no one else for his Farewell Match and even hosted him at his home with his favourite red wine - speaks volumes. On that LOG WD fiasco and scandal involving not only CHN but INA and KOR as well, PG said it's not confined to badminton but something that has happened to many other Olympic sports.
Frankly, it's quite clear why some people here expect and demand that CHN be held to the perfect or highest ideal standard but are most willing and happy to conveniently overlook and forgive any similar failing on the part of others; nay, any slightest fault committed by CBA, they will not hesitate to jump on it and make a mountain out of a molehill. Let's view the problem in the proper perspective - it pales in comparison to what's happening or has been happening in many other sports, such as the recent soccer match-fixing scandal involving betting syndicates,in boxing I was told it's widespread, in F1 auto racing which is both a team and individual sport where team order is the norm, etc,etc. No excuse but they aren't the same.
Plainly speaking, for any player, once you step on court , what is of utmost concern to you is not how your CHN opponent or anyone for that matter gets on the opposite side to play you as long as it's legal but,most importantly, how to beat him/her/them. Any violation of the rules or wrongdoing is for the relevant personnel and authority to deal with it or BWF stands accused of connivance and/or complicity. I rest my case.
With no disrespect, if you don't have anything new to add - not just related to CHN/CBA (why single her out,fair game?) but other countries/BAs too - I really don't wish to dwell on this subject anymore. Let's look forward and move on. There are exciting times ahead for badminton and the just concluded AUS Open GPG is one of the harbingers.Cheers! Enough said, too much actually.
