Vittinghus' Christmas Wish List
Copied from Vittinghus' FB post, since I think some of the points he raised worth discussion as fans
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My 2021 Badminton Christmas Wish List
Att.: BWF
Dear reader,
What you are about to read is going to be rather long, hopefully also interesting, but for sure long. Very long.
From what you are about to read (and perhaps some of my previous posts) it might seem like I’m very unhappy about how badminton is being run, but that’s not true. There are many things that deserve praise too, but I’m really interested in making our sport even better for me, for you and for future generations, so I always look at the things we could improve on.
That’s how I think in most aspects of life – I try to make things more efficient, fairer or in broad terms, simply just better.
So, it’s my hope that this wish list of mine will be received in the way it’s meant to, not as a negative bashing of things as they are, but as constructive criticism as to how we can improve the sport we all love. And trust me, if you get to the end of this post, you do truly love and care about this sport!
A few opening comments to clarify a few things before you read the full list:
- This is not a complete list of my wishes; I’ve chosen to go with the ones I think are rather easy and in most cases expense-free to change
- It is not written in any specific prioritized order
- I do not have all the answers as to how to implement all my wishes
- I know it’s often a long process to change rules and regulations with how BWF is structured, so I don’t expect change to happen over night
- My wishes might not be perfect and I’m very willing to hear your feedback, I welcome discussion, that’s how we make things better
- Some of my wishes are influenced by ideas I’ve heard from others
- Not a single wish of mine has got anything to do with what would be beneficial for my own personal career. My career will be over soon enough anyway, and I actually think some of my suggestions would be a disadvantage for me personally
Now, let’s get on with it:
The Things That Are Free to Change:
- Re-open the World Ranking ASAP
Why: Because it makes no sense, we still have results from March 2019 that count towards our current ranking! These results are soon to be 3 years old – how does that in any way reflect our current level?
It is extremely unfair for the young generation of players as many older players currently hold a tremendous number of points, some of them without having performed for a long time and this gap of points is unbelievably hard to close with the current structure as there is no qualifying events for 750+ events. The players that are “in” in terms of the big events get all the chances for the big points and are currently not losing any of them, even if they haven’t performed for 3 years…
All countries except China are competing worldwide at most events again and I really don’t think it’s fair, we keep the rankings frozen, just to keep them ranked high enough. I know China’s interest is financially critical, but the current ranking freeze is simply just really unfair and not necessary anymore as the tournament calendar gives plenty of options for tournament participation.
- Stop giving us slow shuttles for almost all events, especially at big “slow” arenas
Why: Because it encourages a slow, overly patient game and makes badminton more of a physical battle than a technical/tactical one. Listen, I personally love slow shuttles and slow conditions, it’s great for me, just look at what conditions I’ve produced my best badminton in… But we are at a point now where we are playing in very slow conditions almost all the time. It’s not speeding up the game, on the contrary it gives longer rallies, longer breaks and a less interesting game.
- Do all draws 1-2 days before events start
Why: Because our current system with draws made weeks prior to events leaves us with lots of draws that are unfair in terms of strength as seeded players pulling out after the draws has been made, gives some players a huge advantage which is purely down to luck. It is so easy to fix this, and I honestly see ZERO downside to such a rule change. It’s a win for everyone, from players to fans to journalists who can then actually do previews that makes sense as they know the players are in fact showing up for their matches. They have already done it this way in table tennis for years. It works!
- Change the qualifying rules for World Tour Finals to World Rank Top 8 at end of November
Why: Because a season finale is supposed to be for the best players of the year, not some odd mix of some of the best and some of the most active players. It makes no sense the points you earn at World Champs/Olympics does not count, but it does give you access to WTF is you win those events… WTF is supposed to be the pinnacle of events on the world tour, but honestly and as respectfully as possible, the list of participants the last few times doesn’t do the event any justice. We NEED the best players there to make the season ending finale have the glory it deserves.
If this is not an option, please consider setting a cap of how many World Tour events count, so it’s only the 10-12 best World Tour results that counts towards qualifying. So that we don’t get anyone qualifying simply because they’re playing a lot more than everyone else, without any real success to show for it.
- Change the prize money structure at World Tour Finals
Why: Because the current structure pays so well even if you lose everything, that it discourages players to pull out beforehand, even if they are injured. They’re better off playing a few points in one match and then pull out, to secure their money.
My suggestion would be something in the lines of:
Fixed amount for qualifying, based on which position you qualify in (i.e., WR1, WR2, WR3 etc. up until WR9). This is paid out regardless of your participation in WTF or not.
Bonus per group stage win in straight games.
Smaller bonus for group stage win in three games.
Even smaller bonus for group stage loss in three games.
Very small bonus for group stage loss in straight games (given you complete the full match)
Bonus for qualifying for semi-final.
Bonus for qualifying for final.
Bonus for winning the final.
This will make sure that everyone always has something to play for regardless of their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage and regardless of their chances of finishing 3rd or 4th in the group. There is always money at stake, in every single game.