http://www.badzine.net/features/korea-open-epilogue-–-the-good-the-bad-the-weird/12456/ I trust many BCers should have read the above-linked article on Badzine. this is inspiring, and the hard facts revealed in the conclusive last paragraphs were really bad news and disappointing to badminton fans. The whole purpose of having a series of Premier SS to imitate Grand Slams in tennis was relentlessly defeated at this very inau tournament! (let alone the first ever biggest prize money!) We still have a long and hard way to go in order to make badminton avreal professional sport, given there still lacks real professional sports executives in BWF, most national badminton associations, and event organizers...
I heard about this and seriously, it bothers me why the sponsors are willing to pay US$1.2m to the KOR PSS with such few attendance. Trust me, we will do better in the INA PSS. The sponsor (Djarum) did quite a number of things last year and it will only get better this year!
I am surprised . I am surprised that Korea, after having the experience of hosting an Olympic Games, could not use that experience to promote our Badminton.
I can almost feel Don Hearn's frustration about the event. It sounded like the KBA thought the US$1.2 prize money was such a big WOW factor that they didn't feel much else needed to be done. Well, people aren't stupid. You put on a badly organized and publicized event and you pay the price for it. I think the KBA might have lost a large audience for next year's event. They have a lot of making up to do to win them back.
