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Sunday September 13, 2009

Shuttlers are still rankled over BWF’s ranking system

KUALA LUMPUR: The Badminton World Federation (BWF) have come under fire from players over their poor management of the ranking system.

Yesterday, seasoned campaigner Wong Choong Hann, representing the Malaysian players, hit out at the world body for not improving the situation.

Since March, the BWF’s current world ranking system does not show the players’ past results in international tournaments over the last one year but it only highlights their weekly total ranking points.

Choong Hann said that the players are unclear with the way the world ranking system is being tallied and as a results the players are unable to chart their future plans effectively.

Choong Hann: ‘The world ranking is important. It helps us to plan ahead.’

In fact, the independent Malaysian shuttler said that he was also in the dark on where he stands in the ranking of the BWF’s Super Series event because it is not posted on the world body’s website.

Choong Hann will be competing in the China Masters, which is the seventh leg of the 12-leg Super Series event in Changzhou on Wednesday.

Only the top eight players after the 12 legs get to compete in the Masters Finals Super Series in December but Choong Hann said that there was no ranking to indicate where the players stand after the half way mark of the series.

Choong Hann, the world No. 10, said that the players were growing frustrated over the system and was time for the world body to get their acts right.

“One would expect the world body to be on the top of everything but this is quite unexpected of them,” said Choong Hann.

“There is no elaboration on how the world ranking points are calculated. There is also no past results. I am an old man (in badminton) and my memory is not getting any better. How am I suppose to keep track of all my past results.

“The world ranking is important. It helps us to plan ahead. I can decide on which tournament that I need to go and which I should not. It gives us — the players — a direction to take.”

On the Super Series ranking, he said: “I do not know where I stand compared to the players from the rest of the world. I tried to search everywhere but there are no updates on this separate ranking system.”

“I do not know whether I need to improve on my ranking or whether I am in a comfortable position to make the cut for the Masters Finals.

“All this uncertainty is a problem for me and the other players. Hopefully, the BWF will rectify this matter as soon as possible.”

It is learnt that the BWF are in a spot following a change in the management team that handles the ranking system but still, the onus is on the world governing body to iron out the problem as quickly as possible.

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