Badminton might be just fine with that, but not to INA for sure, coz badminton is the only sports that contributes gold medal for us in every Olympic since it start in 1992
Surmise to say, the 2 sports which probably a lot of people feel are being dominated by the Americans, baseball & softball, have been booted outta the Olympics as of this yr (for the reason of lacking support). Imagine if both are still being played..imagine the wrath being put on the U.S. in trying to hog more medals/Gold medals.. *Btw, for baseball, Cuba has won more Gold than the U.S.
How many good national baseball teams are there? If there're only 3 or 4, then I could see it being dropped. If there are 16, then it should have stayed.
I think there are only about a handful (10ish). I remember watching some of the World Baseball Classic or whatever, and i remember only having 12 or even 16. But not enough of them could really compete. Along with the same lines, if they cut out Women's Ice Hockey from the Winter Olympics, it hurts Canadians more than the Americans, I'd say. You mostly lose an entire country from watching that event, and all the advertising it loses. Similarly, I don't believe it's so much culturally, but somewhat dependant. If the nation does well, money gets put in, promotes sport more/produces more champions. Flip side, nation doesn't do well, money isn't put in, etc etc. But if money was put in, and champions aren't produced, I can understand. But money isn't put in to begin with. How can you expect to produce champions in TT, Badminton and Handball, if your Sports Committee isn't committed? Cultural reasons aside, financial reasons play a bit part.
I do agree it's silly to have that many events for, technically "1 sport". I understand the subtle differences of different distances = different strategies = different sport or whatever, in the same lines that MIXED doubles is completely different than MEN's/WOMEN's doubles. but you could shorten it by having just a predetermined short and long distances, instead of 50-100m difference? Honestly, is there THAT much difference to justify 50m more? On the idea of making Badminton that way, to have a Badminton Olympian equal Phelp's record, you could have a new "MIXED" Doubles, men's doubles vs women's doubles?! And a new category marked as just half court singles, and half court doubles?! In addition with the team event, a player could earn 10 (MS/WS, MD/WD, XD, MXD, HC MS/WS, HC MD/WD, HC XD, HC MXD, Mixed Team, Men's/Women's Team) possible medals. This ensures that the sport remains the same (essentially), but the time it will take to finish the sport will stretch the entire duration of the Olympics or more. Not to mention the sheer exhaustion of having to play that many rounds and finals! I believe swimming only have a few heats, and because the amount of competition/heat, the category can move faster. It won't happen unless you see 5 or 6 court badminton, but where everyone is against everyone!
