Making a stand: USA’s Zhang Beiwen clears her second round in the Malaysian Open. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: American shuttler Zhang Beiwen has made it clear that starting this year, she will only compete in mandatory tournaments under Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour and will no longer participate in continental championship events.
Beiwen’s decision comes after she voiced her disappointment with the world body for not offering sufficient support during her battle with injuries.
She had planned to withdraw from several tournaments, citing concerns over her mental, physical, and financial well being.
According to BWF regulations, top players are compulsory to play all four Super 1000, six Super 750, and up to two Super 500 events.
Despite submitting a medical letter to the BWF, her request was disregarded, leaving her at risk of fines of up to US$5,000 for skipping each Super 1000 or Super 750 tournament.
With this decision, it means she will not represent the United States at the Pan Am Cup in Mexico this February, a tournament that serves as a qualifying event for the Sudirman Cup.
Not only that, she has also hinted that she will skip the Pan Am Individual Championships in Lima, Peru, this April.
The only tournament outside the BWF World Tour calendar she plans to compete in is the World Championships, set to take place in Paris this August.
"For me, I will only show up for tournaments where I am required to play. If it’s not mandatory, I won’t be there.
"In a year, as players, we are expected to compete in at least 13 out of 14 tournaments. This doesn’t even include team events or the World Championships, and I’m not planning to play in most of them.
"I think the World Championships will be the only exception. Other than that, I’m done because I need to rest. As you can see, I’m still sore even after playing just one match," said Beiwen.
At this point, Beiwen never expected to reach the quarter-finals of the Malaysian Open, especially considering her physical condition was far from ideal.
She defeated Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt 21-14, 21-18 yesterday and will face defending champion An Se-young of South Korea today.
"Since I have to be here, I have no expectations, no struggles, and no stress.
"Right now, mentally, I’m feeling really good. I’m putting on weight, but I’m truly enjoying what I’m doing.
"Before, I used to worry too much, but now I focus on doing things that make me happy," she added.
