Very thorough report & descriptions of the events, Sally! EXCELLENT!!! Please keep us up-to-date with things still to come in the TC finals. BTW, I didn't expect Mr. Kevin Han to be there. NICE!
Much thanks Sally. Nice to have a BadmintonForum/badminton enthusiast have a presense in the International Badminton Federation. It's almost unbelievable, and very, very much welcomed. -dave
Some of Sally's report snipped for brevity.. Sally, another great and interesting report...wow, what an abundance of infos we have gotten these last 3-4 days..esp. from your AGM meeting anyways, I'm just going to mainly focus on your report from the AGM meeting for my reply.. sigh, finally it's decided...hmm, so IBF is still sticking to the current scoring system and it will be used from this time forward.. But after reading your report, it seemd like the goal of the new scoring system is to boost the marketibility and commercialization of badminton. Bu i also wonder, do you know or did the council provide any hard-given PROVE(s) abt their claim that "TV coverage increased by whopping %"??..is that the ONLY main reason why they are sticking with the current scoring system??..As for the argument that "It also pumps players adrenaline and gives Players an equal chance to WIN", hmm, IMO, the former is probably true. But not sure about the latter argument. It's still debatable. Sure GER, NED and TPE were the surprised UC Semifinalists, but at the end CHN was and is the winner again(winning it 3-0). And in the TC, there weren't any surprises, as 4 of the top 5 teams made in the the Semis...Overall, to me it seemed, even with the new scoring system, nothing has changed in terms of competition between players/countries.. anyways.. yah, that's what i heard and understand also from Mr. Gunalan and the article posted by ants in this forum, http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32567 that the players', coaching staffs' opinon will be counted also??..i guess the players' opinions are over-ruled.?!?!. eh??..so does that mean Taufik has won the 2005 IBF Player of the Year award??..or different award??.. You are truly fortunate to be there(even attending the AGM meeting for the first time), watching it live and enjoying the atmosphere. Must be absolutely electric. We "mortal humans"(like Kwun mentioned), can only dream of your opportunity and can only watch from our PC thru webTV...hehehe ok, hope you can enjoy the TC Final. And looking fw to more of your report tomorrow...thanks again!
Not that the number of 21 points is important. I think it is the simplified manner of gaining a point is important. Needing to win by two clear points is very simple for those unfamiliar with our sport. I am very interested to know why the players don't like 21 points system. It seems more unpredictability has been added to the game and that adds up to "TENSION". I think it is a matter of time before everybody gets used to it. How much weight do the players get on this? Probably not much if it's not a health issue. The TV coverage has increased - I wonder on the validity of this. However, for the first time, cable TV in HK has shown early rounds and the q/finals so that confirms the statement for HK. And Sally, thanks for the reports. Really good to know more of the behind the scenes stuff
Hey Sally, keep up the great reporting. Your attention to detail and personal views give a quite "regular Joe" perspective to everything that's happening. So we're stuck with the 21 pt system, at least for a while. Just curious, what was the degree of your input into the meeting. The impression you gave was that you sat back, listened and digested things. Looking forward to your report on the final. Hope you can get us lots of inside scoops. mb
one more thing before i forgot, what was the decision on the new players' attire?? Was it brought up and discussed?? And what was the decision by the council??..thx-
Answers to first set of questions But after reading your report, it seemd like the goal of the new scoring system is to boost the marketibility and commercialization of badminton. >>it may be credible they need to first generate a high pitched interest level and mainstream acceptance in order to find the audience and respect they need in the International Sports arena. Bu i also wonder, do you know or did the council provide any hard-given PROVE(s) abt their claim that "TV coverage increased by whopping %"??.. >>To be terribly honest, (maybe to my detriment), the majority of arguments at the meeting were much of the issues had no callatoral. I guess the best way to gage is, have you seen an increase of badminton tournaments on TV? is that the ONLY main reason why they are sticking with the current scoring system??.. >>the time of play is shortened tremendously and with the past boring commentaries (hope new commentator Kevin Han will improve on that), and the inablity for camera angles to track the shuttlecock properly leaves much room for adjustment. They need to create excitement so sponsorship competition can be increased, therefore mass exposure, and monetary means to get the best possible representation on every aspect. At present Yonex may well be the Microsoft of badminton. As Mike Yang quoted 'no one likes change, but as time goes by, people will get used to it and they will adapt and they will protest when comes another change." As for the argument that "It also pumps players adrenaline and gives Players an equal chance to WIN", hmm, IMO, the former is probably true. Sure GER, NED and TPE were the surprised UC Semifinalists, but at the end CHN was and is the winner again(winning it 3-0). >>I had breaky with Zhang Ning this morning and she passionately told me that the ONLY reason CHN wins consecs is because they LITERALLY TRAIN and PRACTICE HARDER than anyone else. She described the process as "having to train until you are so sick and exhausted you don't know how life can possibly go on, but you do because you are pushed beyond your limits and once that limit is reached you need to get beyond that." They have no holidays, no party, no B-days, no family outings. Theirs is a militaristic discipline that “we mere mortals” cannot comprehend except to leave our mouths gaping . When I left her room she bumped into a woman who asked her "how is your fever"? She said, I don't know can you feel my forehead? When she played the finals for Uber cup she was having a fever!! What kind of super human conditioning puts someone in that stratosphere? I wouldn't be able to move a single hair. that the players', coaching staffs' opinon will be counted also??..i guess the players' opinions are over-ruled >>players opinions are heard but ultimately the Council has the power and they will do everything in their power to ensure Badminton gets the recognition and respect it deserves. eh??..so does that mean Taufik has won the 2005 IBF Player of the Year award??..or different award >>He won IBF Athelete of the year award for 2005. What I found rather ODD was, not one single player was at the ceremony. Not one Indonesian, not one player. Well... the Council was there, Guests and all Countries delegates. You are truly fortunate to be there >> I am truly so fortunate in having the opportunity to enjoy watching these phenomenal atheletes exert their raw talent for the love of their sport. What is most satisfying is seeing how important it is to THEM and how much they LOVE their profession. They WANT to make us happy too and what more could we ask for? You'll need to wait for my finals report cos I just wrote this darn thing once already and when I pressed submit reply I got bumped into the log in again and LOST my previous one. I forgot to copy and paste first! AGHHHHHH!!! :crying: . I went out for dinner with some friends and drank 2 glasses so I'm a little sloshed. . Here is the scoring though: Lin Dan - Peter Gade. Poor Pete. 21-18 LIN, 21-19 LIN Fu, Cai, Lungaard, Eriksen. 21-11 CHN, 21-18 DEN, 21-17 CHN Bo - Jonassen. 21-13 BO, 21- Forgot!, 21-12 BO You guys probably got the score already. I'm going to pass out now. Oh BIG RAIN in Tokyo today. Got my pant bottoms all wet. he heee.. OK eyes closing... BTW, Zhang Ning just called at 1:12AM. I told her I was writing this and she says “HI” to all of you! She so nice! Nighty, Sally
(Some of Sally's report snipped for brevity).. Thanks again Sally for your quick reply...even when you're basically "knocked out"..doing it just for us BCers in here..hehe >>it may be credible they need to first generate a high pitched interest level and mainstream acceptance in order to find the audience and respect they need in the International Sports arena. sure, i think that's what IBF should've generate and/or create first, rather than creating and trying another round of scoring system change.. >>To be terribly honest, (maybe to my detriment), the majority of arguments at the meeting were much of the issues had no callatoral. I guess the best way to gage is, have you seen an increase of badminton tournaments on TV? hmm, i understand...but in order for IBF(or anyone) to validate their "claim", don't you think they need to provide some actual hard-proven facts..If TVs are starting to broadcast more and consistent tournaments, then i can understand. But i don't think they can just base this on Thomas & Uber Cup tournament. What about the subsequent/upcoming tournaments??.. >>the time of play is shortened tremendously and with the past boring commentaries (hope new commentator Kevin Han will improve on that), and the inablity for camera angles to track the shuttlecock properly leaves much room for adjustment. They need to create excitement so sponsorship competition can be increased, therefore mass exposure, and monetary means to get the best possible representation on every aspect. At present Yonex may well be the Microsoft of badminton. As Mike Yang quoted 'no one likes change, but as time goes by, people will get used to it and they will adapt and they will protest when comes another change." Hmm, sure i hope with the new commentator(s) (Kevin Han & co.) and better tv angles etc., it will give the sport a better and attractive presentation. But abt the "time of play is shortened tremendously", hmm, i don't think that was the case in the Uber Cup Semis. But maybe this only happens in team events(Sudirman and Thomas & Uber Cups). Maybe in the other individual tournaments, the time of play is "shorter".?!?!..As for the scoring system that is now being "put behind the backburner", i'm not too knowledgeable abt the history, but wasn't the 15x3 and 11x3 format the original scoring system that was created?? If so, does anyone know what was the reason behind using that scoring system??..i mean, it seemed like it's just being "used and abused" just like that.. >>I had breaky with Zhang Ning this morning and she passionately told me that the ONLY reason CHN wins consecs is because they LITERALLY TRAIN and PRACTICE HARDER than anyone else. She described the process as "having to train until you are so sick and exhausted you don't know how life can possibly go on, but you do because you are pushed beyond your limits and once that limit is reached you need to get beyond that." They have no holidays, no party, no B-days, no family outings. Theirs is a militaristic discipline that “we mere mortals” cannot comprehend except to leave our mouths gaping sure, i couldn't agree more. The are truly discipline and hard workers. Hehe, it's their "life" anyways as a professional player, until they leave the training center/national team..Her desription above about "going beyond our limits and then going even further", sure left my mouth gaping...haha >>players opinions are heard but ultimately the Council has the power and they will do everything in their power to ensure Badminton gets the recognition and respect it deserves. hmm, i see..oh well.. >>He won IBF Athelete of the year award for 2005. What I found rather ODD was, not one single player was at the ceremony. Not one Indonesian, not one player. Well... the Council was there, Guests and all Countries delegates. hmm, did they just announce it during this Thomas & Uber Cup?? If so, it makes sense, cos we haven't read any official news from the IBF website. Last yr.(which Taufik also won) i believe they announced it in January/February, wasn't this late..I guess we'll just wait for the announcement in their website. BTW, you mentioned none of the players were there, i guess this award is not meant to be presented "physically"??.. You'll need to wait for my finals report cos I just wrote this darn thing once already and when I pressed submit reply I got bumped into the log in again and LOST my previous one. I forgot to copy and paste first! AGHHHHHH!!! Actually you SHOULD'VE log in again, it's ok. You did not lose anything. Once you logged in again, you'll see your post. I think the process now in BC is(if i'm not wrong), if we haven't logged in for certain minutes, even we have already logged in, we will be "kicked off" the forum. Thus the "re-logged in" is necessary again.. Anyways, appreciate much again for your additional infos and reply. They are very informative. And looking fw to your new report tomorrow. BTW, what was the decision on the new players' attire?? I believe it was part of the main issue to be discussed in the meeting??
Sally, please suggest to IBF to allow more breaks during the game. Currently a 2 mins break is taken at 11 points. I think one break is not enough. It should be every 7 point and 14 point instead. Reason being the play now is more demanding and more tense. It increases the risk of injury, (Wong Chong Han is a good example). IBF should do more to help reduce injuries.
Back in SFO, May 8, 06 Hi Y'all!! Wheew!!! What a trip! Sorry I couldn't write the other day. I was SOOO exhausted on this trip. I had such jet lag it was terrible. I had about 3 hours of sleep per night. I went on the plane planning to do a bunch of things and asked them to wake me up for dinner and ended up sleeping the whole 8 hours with only 15 minutes left to land when I woke! Best sleep I've had in a LOOOONG time! We were discussing that watching the tournaments is really overwhelmingly tired. The viewer is soo focused and the eyes travel back and forth with the birdie. Welll.. I'm not complaining or anything..... Anyways, before I dozed off I managed to write the last installment for the T-cup. Here it is!! It’s almost no wonder that many say the quarter and semi finals are the best part of the tournaments. I mean of course in the end you get to see the final best thrashing it to end but I guess the adrenaline to get there is more evident during the quarter and the semi’s. Well.. I don’t know, just talking out loud. The last day in Tokyo was exciting but I guess, you sort of (I feel really guilty when I say this) figure out who MIGHT win already… I mean Lin Dan against Peter Gade. Peter is 30 something to Lin’s 20 something and thru some whispering you hear that Gade spent most of his energy putting away Lee Chun Wei the day before. Good thing he got a rest day otherwise, maybe collapse is more like it. I was sitting there and thinking about my own job. When I first started, I used to get so nervous thinking about singing in front of an audience that I would literally have to vomit before a show sometimes. I couldn’t sleep for weeks, not just days. My first concert, I don’t think I slept for 2 months. Then I had nightmares about having no audience. Like only 4 people show up or something. Of course by NOW, umpteen years on the circuit later, I can sleep, but still not well, just a few days before a major concert with a 12,000 audience. But in every show, now , little or big, I get something stuck in my throat JUST before I walk out onto the stage. A frog is just sitting in there. Hiccuping. And I struggle to find my voice for the first 2 lines … then the frog kind of leaps out. I was sitting there before the Singles Final match and couldn’t help thinking of how much sleep Gade must have gotten before Final day. Any one of the guys that can reach the finals if not Taufik or Lin, MUST want to jump at the chance to just WIN that damn title. I’m sorry but really got kind of daydreaming about how Gade would react if he actually BEAT Lin in this game, and as patriotic as I am, I really kinda wished Gade could at least have it this time you know? I was thinking Gade would break down and cry like a baby for a looong time if he got it and how proud the Danes would be etc.. Any Country I mean. Anyone that could beat China or Indonesia. Ok well.. just my thoughts. Anyways, cos of all that dreaming, I missed much of the first part of the match. Actually there was not much to see. Gade didn't seem to be playing with the muscle. I don’t know if you could feel that from TV. Lin was just sooooo strong but only used it when he saw the op. They would rally haplessly back and forth. Gade would put the birdie, middle, net, push back, net, net net, Lin would underhand high and Gade would try to smash, but goodness, it just had no ommmph. It also didn’t seem to have any angle. He did a few good ones though. After a little more, Gade would lob up, and most of the time, to Lin’s backhand but this Lin can smash HARD-O at any angle and BASH, point gone. It was like that the WHOOOLLLE time. I thought Gade didn’t want to exert too much of his energy trying to save it for the long haul by just rallying and holding on in 1st game but he just couldn’t get the better of Lin. When they changed sides Gade seem to find some aggression, but alas, only for about 6 points. Then he got the wind knocked out of him. There is one side which is “suin foong” toward wind. That is when the umpire is on left and birdie man is on right. Gade was on the other side in 2nd game but he made the same mistakes on both games. He would rally rally till he lobbed up and Lin would finish him off. End of story. Mike was really hoping to get Gades T-shirt and signature cos he loves Gade, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask him. Just couldn’t. If Gade read this I’ll probably never get Mikes shirt! But you are a GREAT phenomenal player Mr. Gade!! That’s why Mike admires you! The next game was interesting to watch the tempers flare. Gee, I don’t seem to be talking about badminton anymore eh? I guess if I were the Danes, I would be so edgy about having that CHANCE to win. Being JUST within my reach but you know how that stubborn finger just won’t make it to that item! So being on that edge, any kind of mishap would send them into a little tantrum. The chat is that Fu returned a behind his back bullet shot. Did ya guys see that shot? I hope I get a recording so I can see it too. Too fast to catch but all my friends saw it . The talk goes that birdie flicked his shirt before it touched the racquet. Umpire missed it and Eriksen protested. Ump didn’t do anything so Eriksen batted his racquet on his towel relentlessly and broke it. OOOOooo..Come to think of it, the last Thomas cup I watched, I saw Taufik break 2 or 3 racquets in one go. He was so mad but at that time I was a novice groupie so I didn’t understand but it was fun to watch! He got so pissed he would throw the racquet miles away, and no red card! Just a stern warning. Now they give out red cards like parking tickets. FREE! In fact he may have been playing Lin Dan at the time. I didn’t know ANYone. Only Sigit and Chandra. My idols. Ok so then the Danes were pissed and kind of messed it up for themselves. I believe that was the game they lost the championship to if I’m not wrong. Can’t let the temper get the better of you in Badminton huh? Really got to keep your emotions in check. Can break even the best of them. I asked Zhang Ning why the day before the Danes won 30-28 and the next game they lose 21-6? (U guys probably know, but I just had to ask) Zhang said, that they probably exerted the maximum possible energy and piercing focus to save that game and couldn’t get their mental condition back in check. Couldn’t get their wind back. Sometimes the adrenaline is so phenomenal that it’s all downhill from there, or even Uphill. It could go both ways. Or, the other side changed strategies and they exhausted all their mental output in the game before and just couldn’t turn it around in the next game. That is the interesting part about this badminton. It’s SOO much a mental game. This and golf. It’s all about the concentration and the mental control. At that level of play where everyone is a champion it’s all about who has the mental stamina to see it thru. That’s the secret. Yah.. that makes sense. I would play a tournament and sometimes don’t even remember the opponent serving. All of a sudden the birdie would be in the air and I’d miss it. I have to do a mental check and FOCUS. It’s sooo hard! Still, there was one shot in a million which produced that “seen with my own eyes” sort of moment! I don’t know how it happened cos things just go at the speed of light, but the birdie somehow landed on the tip top of the net, head down of course, and stayed suspended, trying to balance itself there, for what seemed like eons. You could hear a collective GASP from the audience and enough time for your perspiration to creep in before it chose to fall to the Danes side. I guess the birdie has a mind of it’s own. At that moment it was like watching someone walking the tightrope using only their arms to balance. It was so awesome. Last game I would say was really ummmm.. predictable. The Danes moral must have been blown apart, and even being optimistic, it just wasn’t looking too good. Bo is the defence master and those gigantic, intimidating European guys with the smash of titans just cannot land those birdies on the court with someone who has turned his defence mechanism into an art! Practically every single smash was blocked only inches from the court floor and lifted, in slow motion, at most times, just brushing back over the net. This is a guy that just won’t DIE. He would stand in the middle of the court and his racquet would magically reach the vertical lines blocking the most explosive smashes. This must be much hair pulling frustration for anyone trying to get a point from him. He can save a smash from his opponents Mid court. Those yummy kind everyone LOVES to smash. The kind that bomb straight down and by all logistics are UNblockable. He’d be waaayyy back on the far wee corner SOMEwhere and his racquet would reach a closed net shot in the opposite wee corner that you swear he CANNOT get, but he DOES, just milliseconds before the birdie reaches the court floor again. He takes the birdie soo low it’s not comprehensible. He’s beyond amazing this Bo. My friend said he looks like a Japanese doll. Ha ha. Very feminine and lithe. He has a very sweet face and has LOTS of female fans who crave for his attention. A real Rock star persona. Ha ha.. Saw him at the lobby when they were leaving this morning and we haven’t been properly introduced but I saw him about 30 feet away and he recognized me and was shy so didn’t know whether to smile or not smile.. but I smiled and waved at him and he broke into the biggest, most sincere grin. Nice Boy. When watching the games, I thought the only reason he lost the 2nd match was cos his mind was elsewhere. Don’t know where, but not there. Then the 3rd match his mind came waddling back so he won. Then came the ceremonies which were reeeeally looong. It was a warm fuzzy ending to a tumultuous 5 days there. Felt like 1 month. The match ended much earlier than anticipated, at 4pm then the trophy awards till 5pm. I grabbed some quick shopping. Went to Adidas and spent 3 hours there! ZSApan original they kept telling me. So I was suckered and bought out the store just because they told me I can’t get it elsewhere. So gullible. Oh the next games are in Hunan, Yu Yang province and then it’s the Hong Kong Open again!!! Could it be possible that it’s been 1 whole year already?? Can’t believe it. HKG Open end of August 31st, 2006. See ya all there! Start saving up and we can go together! I must say. My favorite place of all to see any tournament is the QE (Queen Elizabeth Stadium) in HKG. It’s unfortunate it can only pack 2000 or so, but the visual is really the BEST. You get SUCH a good angle, lighting at every side and it’s sooo close you can see things in detail. The wrist, the feet, the crunch. I hope to see you all there and I hope to be there too! Keep in touch! Badminton in our hearts, Sally 2006
Thanks Sally for the indepth report and your experience during the TC/UC. At least now you can get some rest. I hope....
Home Sweet Home.. Thanks Sally for sharing your report of the last day of TC and for sharing all the wonderful experiences you've had; words can only describe so much, but i'm sure the real experience was undescribable... Wow, the ending you described sounds like all the energy from all the top players have been exhausted...I just wonder how will the players get up again for the upcoming World Championships in Spain...Let alone the tournaments in between..(2 yrs ago, Thomas and Uber Cup was the "only" big *team* event, last yr it was the Sudirman Cup and followed by World Championships)..But they should have ample time to recuperate and recharge their energy again.. BTW Sally, are you planning to go to the World Championship in Spain later this yr??..hehe BTW, same sentiment with ants, hope you can get some rest and sleep.. ..Fortunately the flight back wasn't too long for you..
Thanks Sally for sharing your feelings & experience along the TUC with us here... much APPRECIATE your effort on putting up all these reports by sacrificing your rest time... really enjoy reading it everyday... like 'chasing' a drama oohh.. talking about drama.. i find that a few HK tvb drama that showing recently (the law drama & lady drama) started to put in badminton in their story.. previously, they used to put golf/tennis/squash... don't you think your effort in HK as an ambassador showing some sign of heat effect? Have a good rest & hope to see you here soon! Big Muaks!!! Peggy
Sally The last report sounded like you put your every last ounce of physical and mental strength into it. Very much like a badminton player would! Well now you deserve a well earned rest. Happy jet-lag recovery . BTW when are you planning to come back to our part of the world (Vancouver)?
Cheung, Answer to your Q's I got bumped off again! I only came in here to answer Cheungs question for 10 minutes, pressed submit reply and I had to log in again. After I logged in I still can't find my latest post! :crying: Can anyone give us more time to make a post? I don't know if anyone agrees with me. Sorry....but really it's so frustrating cos I forgot to copy and paste again so I have to answer AGAIN This is like the 6th time it's happend to me:crying: ! Hate to be a cry baby... . Is it because I press QUOTE instead of Post Reply? Needing to win by two clear points is very simple for those unfamiliar with our sport. >>I thought it is to win by one point until 20-20, then its to win by two clear points? I am very interested to know why the players don't like 21 points system. >>I don't believe they actually dislike the new scoring. Just they haven't gotten used to it and for the women the point is that usually at 11 points they are done, but now they have another 10 to go, so its more difficult for them. For the men it's just bing, bang and done. I'm sure most people really don't like changes. But once the new system is secure, the old system will soon be forgotten. How much weight do the players get on this? >>I believe if the players and coaches COLLECTIVELY bring a stand off of protest, they will certainly find an audience at the AGM or the main council. I have actually heard some protest by the coaches but not the players. But now since this scoring has been implemented without anyones particularly defiant challenge, for them it's just a matter of living with it and getting to like it eventually. Even at the AGM no particular Country stood up to protest about the scoring system. Only one Country ( I couldn't see which one cos I was in the front and the speaker podium for Countries was behind me) said they wished no more changes would be made and if they were could they have more time in preparation and warning. I just want everyone to know I don't know how legitimate my answers are above. I only relay to you what I hear and what I see and I just hope my intuition and common sense are acute enough to give you a fair and justified answer! Please don't take what I say 100% because I am only a bystander giving my personal opinion. I just hope my assessments are somewhat accurate! Thank you for listening! Sally
Madbad, answer to your Q Just curious, what was the degree of your input into the meeting. The impression you gave was that you sat back, listened and digested things. >>and that's exactly what I did. I had NO input at ALL. Sally
Chibe, Answers to your questions I got bumped off again! I only came in here to answer Cheungs question for 10 minutes, pressed submit reply and I had to log in again. After I logged in I still can't find my latest post! :crying: Can anyone give us more time to make a post? I don't know if anyone agrees with me. Sorry....but really it's so frustrating cos I forgot to copy and paste again so I have to answer AGAIN:crying: This is like the 6th time it's happend to me ! Hate to be a cry baby... Sigh.. I was so excited my other 2 messages got on with no pain, that I forgot I was on for so long and lost my answer to this one again. OK here goe's again.... OK I lost it twice but this time I'm prepared!! Sally, please suggest to IBF to allow more breaks during the game. Currently a 2 mins break is taken at 11 points. I think one break is not enough. It should be every 7 point and 14 point instead. >>I am told by Zhang Ning that it is 1 minute break for 11 points, not 2. Actually the more breaks the more easy to lose the momentum. I was told by Pros if the opponent is in attacking mode and intimidating me, break their serve by calling foul when they serve. I said "I can't do that"! They said "oh yes you can." I've been told to tie shoelaces, get a drink, wipe sweat, anything to break the other sides momentum. When Taufik broke the 3 racquets the whole stadium was BOOOing him because it was so obvious he was losing and he was trying everything, so when he wanted to wipe face, the ump said NO, cos he wiped for 5 times already, then wipe hands, towel, all NO. It was so funny. He lost anyway cos his emotions got the better of him instead. Reason being the play now is more demanding and more tense. It increases the risk of injury, (Wong Chong Han is a good example). IBF should do more to help reduce injuries. >>I really don't think injuries are caused by scoring, flooring, or lighting or whatever other possibility. Wong's achilles tendon was like an old elastic band on it's last stretch before it snapped if you know what I mean. It's very sad to see such a young and great athelete suffer such a tragic end but when it happens, it happens. I don't know if IBF can help on this aspect. It is up to the Players, their Country and their trainers to perform and BE in the best and fittest condition possible. They are well tested by doctors before they come out to play. Zhang Ning played with a fever on her finals in Tokyo and by all common sense, that would be impossible if not for her training. She was most susceptible to getting an injury playing in the condition she was in. Sally
