Badminton’s biggest controversy in years involves not cheating, not drugs, but skirts, with crunch talks today set to decide on a saga which has divided the sport.
At a showdown in the Chinese seaside city of Qingdao, badminton’s chiefs will attempt to convince doubtful associations that a new ruling forcing women players to wear skirts or dresses is not sexist, but a smart marketing tool.
The move caused such uproar that its enforcement has already been delayed by a month, but the sport’s Kuala Lumpur-based top brass appear confident of persuading critics it’s a crucial gambit to improve badminton’s bottom line.
“The reason we want the skirt regulation is to promote women’s events, which are getting less and less popular,” Badminton World Federation deputy president Paisan Rangsikitpho said during the ongoing Sudirman Cup in Qingdao. “The bottom line is: They could earn more sponsorship and more money.”
He had previously stressed that it “has never been the intention of the federation to portray women as sexual objects, and nor is that what we are doing.”
China, Indonesia and India are among a host of countries who have raised fierce objections, while in Malaysia, the opposition Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party called for a boycott of tournaments.
With the new directive set to come into force on Wednesday, even players are torn. The rule says skirts or dresses must be worn, even if they are over the top of shorts or trousers.
“I think it’s a little bit ridiculous,” said Ragna Ingolfsdottir of Iceland, who chooses to wear a skirt because she finds it less restrictive.
“Some girls here just want to wear shorts because they think it’s more comfortable, so why make them wear skirts if they don’t want to,” Ingolfsdottir said. “I don’t think it’s about sexism, but will it make more people watch? I don’t know. I don’t think in Iceland it matters, but somewhere in the world perhaps it does.”
Ingolfsdottir admitted the publicity over the issue — though not all of it has been good — had at least raised the sport’s profile.
“There are different views on it and in some ways the publicity is good, but for the players that don’t like it, it’s not good for them, but maybe it’s good for badminton as a whole,” she said.
Hong Kong’s Chau Hoi Wah is very much in the shorts camp.
“I don’t really see the point in women having to wear skirts,” she said, adding shorts were more comfortable and “more appropriate” when stretching for a shot.
“I know it’s to attract sponsors, but isn’t there another way it can be done? Are people really going to come and watch because a girl is wearing a skirt or a tank-top? And if they are, are they really supporting badminton,” she asked.
However, many players at the Sudirman Cup said they had no issue with the ruling.
“It’s okay for me,” said Peng Yun, who was born in China, but plays for the US. “Before I wore shorts, but now I wear a skirt. There’s not much difference, but I think skirts are good for the sport because girls look nicer, a bit like they do in tennis.”
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their