Yup, that would be great. We would then have two fantastic matches (in fact would be like two finals) LD vs CL and then LCW vs winner of the other group...only in my dreams I guess. Wouldn't that make us all (fans & haters alike) happy
but that might be a double bluff. he made people think that he is running scared and the battle already lost thus lower down their guards then turn up super confident and fearless in China.
Maybe. On the other hand, I don't think LCW is a person who's doing bluffs. Trickshots here and there on the court, but bluffing off the court? Hmm... I don't think so ^^ I absolutely agree LCW's opinion. But to be honest, LD's real ranking would be pretty sure 1 - 4, so he should get the chance to defend his title, since he's still a great champion. BWF should have made a rule that world champions don't need to qualify for the next WC, so the wild card could have been given to another less known talented player.
Hmm...very interesting observation. Mind games, I supposed. Personally, I feel it's counterproductive, may backfire and in the end even if he wins the title it won't reflect well on him. Well, Lee CW may not be capable of that, I wouldn't say the same of his coaches and management by allowing him to rant like that before the psychologist and PR personnel are consulted. What if Lee CW really took it negatively, the damage is already done. Absolutely,automatic qualification for the defending champion is what I've been clamouring for. According to BWF, there is no WC during the Olympic year and the Olympic champion is regarded as equivalent to WC. As such if Lin Dan who is both 2011 WC and 2012 OG champion isn't qualified to compete in WC'13, then nobody is.
Automatic qualification is a good idea. How about the winner of the World Champion in year preceding Olympics? Should he or she be automatically qualify for the Olympics?
Actually, theoretically speaking, all things considered, it should be Lee CW's best chance to win this year's world title for reasons that are well discussed here. Furthermore,it's better for him to do so with Lin Dan's participation than not unless he cares more for the lucrative financial rewards than anything else. Come this August, if Lee CW still fails to achieve it, he has only himself to blame, I daresay. Whatever,win or lose,hope he doesn't let it affect him too much; I'm sure his life isn't only badminton.
LCW will live a pretty good life regardless. he changes to a new super car every few months, his face is on billboards everywhere in Malaysia, he is a very famous and wealthy man.
The problem is the World Championships and the Olympics are two separate distinct events, each serving a different purpose with some overlap. The one earns the world title for which all the best players are expected to vie for it, the other encompasses the Olympic spirit and goals of universality of values,participation(i.e. winning isn't everything), to promote world peace, build a better world, and so on and so forth. Moreover, the WC is an annual affair whilst the Olympics quadrennial, so I feel four years is too long a period for a player to maintain his form, what with retirements due to age, injury, loss of motivation - just too many things can happen in four years. Therefore giving automatic berth to the defending Olympic champion may be pushing it, I don't think it'll go down very well with many people. Don't forget, there's also quota places for each National Olympic Committee (NOC) more stringent than for the WC.
It would never happen. Olympic committee is separate to the BWF and has different entry criteria (and deliberately so). However, the IOC does rely heavily on BWF to help out which confuses some people into thinking BWF is in total control of Olympic badminton.
Holy Cow!!! This thread has grown to 12 pages just because LD got a wild card!!! I neither have time nor patience to go through 12 pages of comments so I'll just state my opinion. I think people are going a bit overboard now over LD's Wild Card. Buck up and suck it up. LD deserves a Wild Card for his sheer accomplishments so far. I support BWF's decision provided LD doesn't abuse it by throwing away matches for his teammates. And I doubt that would happen, but I cant trust CBA. If CBA fiddles again I hope he rebels against it just like how he punched JXP few years ago. My only gripe with this decision is BWF has showed us how biased the organization is. BWF should give out wild cards at every major tournament, like in Tennis, to give former top 20 or top 30 players a chance to prove them selves. Coming to current discussion, yes it's a totally bad idea to mix IOC and BWF. Both organizations are based on different sets of ideologies and their goals are different, the former works for spreading human spirit through sports and the later works for the betterment of their sport respectively. So their concepts of conducting the sport are different and therefore should not be mingled. I like the current way the world championship is held because a badminton player's career is very short compared to other sports as they are prone to injuries quite often which reduces their career span and also their peak form does not last long in this sport. Consider this, more than 90% of the top players are just from Asia yet there is cut throat competition. One mistake and you are out. Just imagine what if rest of the Europe and the Americas join in the party, will anyone survive? BWF need to find ways to give reprieve to players to heals their injuries (minor nibbles which later becomes career threatening) without losing out on their ranking.
Courtesy of the Star : Here are the comments from some of the coaches and players : Mixed reaction to Chong Wei’s remarks on Lin Dan’s wild card Reports by RAJES PAUL and K. LIVINGESHAN Pictures by IZZRAFIQ ALIAS and SHAHRUL FAZRY Lee Chong Wei does crunches during training for Sudirman Cup. - THE STAR/SHAHRUL FAZRY ISMAIL WORLD No. 1 Lee Chong Wei’s rivalry with two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China was the hot topic among the badminton fraternity assembled for the Sudirman Cup – despite the absence of the man they call Super Dan. Local superstar Chong Wei had cried foul over the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) decision to award Lin Dan a wild card for the World Championships in Guangzhou and his outburst received mixed reactions from his other rivals. China chief coach Li Yongbo said that it was one of BWF’s best decisions. “Finally, BWF have done the right thing by putting the interest of athletes first,” Yongbo said after China’s training session at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday. “They also did it the right thing by introducing the instant replay system (to make it debut at the Indonesian Open). The BWF are looking at the interest of players and that’s important to me. Lin Dan may be the first shuttler to benefit from this BWF decision but I’m sure that others will too in the future, including Chong Wei. “Chong Wei is a close friend of mine and I even attended his wedding last year. I’m not sure what he said to the media but I would like to hear it for myself about this matter. I’ll talk to him.” Chong Wei felt that the BWF should not have given the four-time world champion the wild card as China already had three qualifiers – Chen Long, Du Pengyu and Wang Zhengming for the world meet. He said that it was unfair to other players who had worked hard to qualify while Lin Dan got in without having played for eight months. Japan chief coach Park Joo-bong sided with Chong Wei, saying the BWF got it all wrong. “I think Chong Wei is right. The BWF have shown special preference to China. I retired after winning the men’s doubles gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. I came out of retirement after two and half years and competed in the Hong Kong Open,” he said. “I did not receive any special treatment although I was an Olympic and world champion. No one gave me a wild card ... I had to qualify like others. “This decision looks as though BWF have a soft spot for China although their players keep conceding walkovers in tournaments.” Denmark’s No. 1 singles shuttler Jan O Jorgensen, however, had mixed feelings about the issue. “I agree with what Chong Wei said. In fact, I tweeted about it. It does seem unfair that Lin Dan gets in easily when others have to work hard to qualify,” said the 25-year-old. “But the rivalry between Chong Wei and Lin Dan is huge and it’s great for the fans. “I know that Lin Dan will not be on the scene for too long and, for a player like me, playing against him is precious opportunity. “I’d rather he compete so that I can get a shot at playing against him.” Without Lin Dan in the Sudirman Cup, Jorgensen said that Chong Wei would be the player to beat. Jorgensen, however, added that he also had huge respect for reigning All-England champion Chen Long, Japan’s Kenichi Tago, Hong King’s Hu Yun and South Korea’s Shon Wan-ho. The world mixed team event starts tomorrow.
Page 59 of BWF Annual Report 2012.. "The London 2012 Olympic Games were the centerpiece of a memorable year for badminton, Lin Dan v Lee Chong Wei, the sequel, surpassed even their momentous 2008 Beijing encounter and displayed conclusively why our sport is such a fantastic sporting spectacle." http://www.bwfbadminton.org/file.aspx?id=438814&dl=1
Tell these guys that Malaysia got 5 wild cards in 2007 WC and ask how they will comment on this... all biased guys...
For the baddy fans, finally these two players to play each other again - thanks BWF we know you know how to sell tickets For the participating players, damn one down now two to go
why is it in english ?? I thought the interview was in hokkien ?? or tay seu bock translate to malay for them is it ???
Loving the drama of the whole situation as it slowly unravels. I understands and accept LCW's complaint with regards to the whole walkover situation that follows LD. But I think he should of had his coach say it for him and he should of said something like no comment or Im going to concentrate on myself and try my best. I think now that he has called out LD, he's putting more pressure on himself if he meets LD because there is this extra layer of emotional baggage when you call out someone. My opinion, LD being in the draw is better for LCW, because if he wins the WC w/o LD in the draw, i think many will always say he could only get it without LD playing. Another point if LCW loses w/o LD in the draw, that would be devastatingly disappointing to LCW! But with LD in the draw, if LCW loses he can say China and the BWF has cheated him out of the title. If LCW wins with LD in the draw, the narrative will be LCW conquers China against all odds and without any caveats.
Looks like LCW got some explaining to do to LYB or at least LYB will go look for him to talk to him... Oops oops oops... LCW better hide or say smth nice like the he's been misunderstood by the press before LYB finds him... kekekeke
