http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC120928-0000024/Our-track-record-speaks-for-itself--Paisan TODAY by Gerard Wong 04:45 AM Sep 28, 2012 SINGAPORE - Paisan Rangsikitpho (picture) is unfazed by the likelihood that the women's doubles controversy at the London Olympics will be used against him by his opponents when he stands for re-election to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) next May. Paisan, who is serving his first term as Deputy President, is seen to be closely aligned to BWF President Kang Young Joong of South Korea, who is said to be seeking re-election. However, TODAY reported on Sept 5 that Kang may face a challenge from Badminton Association of Malaysia president Nadzmi Salleh, who told TODAY that he had been "approached by a few people from different continents to go for the post" and will decide by the end of the year. Nadzmi's candidacy means his supporters are also likely to gun for the other top positions in the BWF. Said Paisan: "Opponents will always find ways to attack you. About the controversy, the fact is that the International Olympic Committee supported the way we swiftly moved to punish the players. "In the end, it all depends on whether the members want us to continue. But I am confident that they are pleased with the major improvements made to the sport in the past three years." Paisan said sponsorships and revenue from the sale of broadcast rights of the BWF's Osim Super Series events had tripled since 2007. "Players can also earn more from tournaments these days because of the increase in prize money," he said. The total prize money at stake annually for the Super Series events from 2007-2010 was US$3.2 million (S$3.9 million). Currently, the total annual purse from 2011-2013 is US$5.1 million. Likewise, the minimum prize purse for the nine second-tier four-star Osim Super Series events will increase from US$200,000 to US$250,000 in 2014. The minimum purse for the five first-tier Osim Super Series Premier events competitions range from US$350,000 to US$400,000. The Indonesian Open offers US$600,000, while the South Korean Open offers the highest purse of US$1 million. Badminton World Federation deputy president Paisan Rangsikitpho
Badminton to clean up its act http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC120928-0000013/Badminton-to-clean-up-its-act Carrot and stick measures in pipeline to ensure fans, organisers are not sold short by Gerard Wong 04:45 AM Sep 28, 2012 SINGAPORE - A slew of changes are expected to be made to the rules and regulations surrounding tournament play in badminton when the sport's world governing body meets in Bangkok in November. The changes will "close all the loopholes" that currently allow players to not give their best in tournaments, said Badminton World Federation (BWF) Deputy President Paisan Rangsikitpho in a telephone interview with TODAY. Speaking from Los Angeles, where he is based, the Thai-born American said: "The main objective of these measures is to protect our sport, keep it in the Olympics, protect tournament organisers and audiences, and ensure that they will always get to see the best games." Badminton was mired in controversy at the London Olympics after four women's doubles pairs tried to lose their final group stage matches to ensure favourable draws in the quarter-finals (see box). Fans jeered as the pairs kept making basic errors in their matches despite warnings from umpires. They were eventually disqualified by the BWF for "not using one's best efforts to win" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport". The world badminton tour has also been plagued in recent years by uncompleted matches by Chinese shuttlers. Last year, Chinese shuttlers met each other 99 times. Of those, 20 matches were either not played (11 walkovers) or partially completed before one shuttler retired. It is believed that players lose on purpose to enable a higher-ranked shuttler - with a better chance of winning the tournament - to progress, or to allow weaker players to earn ranking points to qualify for major competitions. Said Paisan, who also chairs the BWF's Events Committee and is tasked with reviewing the regulations for tournaments: "I am not able to give details of the sort of changes that will take place just yet. But we will come up with suggestions that will be discussed at the BWF Council meeting." However, he said that there is likely to be a future system of "carrots and sticks" to reward players for giving their best in tournaments and penalise those who do not. While he acknowledged that the group stage format, introduced at the London Olympics in place of the straight knock-out system, had partly aided the doubles controversy, Paisan also defended it, and said it will stay for the 2016 Rio Olympics, albeit with some tweaks. "We will be making adjustments so that there will be no more match-fixing and to compel players to win their matches. However, the feedback from many players was that they were happy that they got to play more matches. Previously, players would prepare four years for an Olympics and then find themselves knocked out in just 30 minutes." He said the BWF's decision was also vindicated by full-house attendances and television figures for the sport in London. The doubles fiasco in London The four women's doubles pairs were from China, South Korea (two pairs) and Indonesia. China's Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli and South Korea's Jung Kyung Eun and Kim Ha Na tried to lose to avoid facing China's Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei in the last eight. The longest rally in the first game lasted only four shots, with the match referee appearing on court to warn the players. Jung and Kim eventually won. In a later match, South Korea's Ha Jung Eun and Kim Min Jung took on Indonesia's Meiliana Juahari and Greysia Polii. Knowing they would face China's Yu and Wang if they won, they contrived to lose their match. In the end, the Koreans won. Yu, a doubles champion at the 2008 Olympics, quit the sport after China ordered its teams to apologise. The Indonesians were banned for four months, while the Koreans were suspended from the national team for a year. (From left) Badminton was tainted after Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang of China and Kim Ha Na and Jung Kyung Eun of South Korea tried to lose their Olympics doubles match. GETTY IMAGES
