Badminton's world body has abandoned plans to force
women players to wear skirts, officials said, in the face of fierce
opposition which threatened to cause controversy during the
Olympics.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) sparked uproar last year
when it tried to make skirts or dresses mandatory for female
players, in an attempt to attract more fans, before postponing the
move indefinitely.
But deputy president Paisan Rangsikitpho said the skirts rule --
which was criticised by China, Indonesia and India, and Malaysia's
main Muslim party -- had finally been scrapped, two months before
the London Games.
"We have shelved the ban (on women wearing shorts)," he said
during the Thomas and Uber Cups event in Wuhan, China, which ended
on Sunday.
But the BWF is still urging its players to look their best for
the cameras as it vies for a greater audience, and has launched a
push for men and women competitors to work on their
"presentation".
"We just want to encourage women and men players to dress
properly. We want them to dress nicely, professionally," Paisan
said, as he outlined the BWF's latest strategy to raise the sport's
profile.
The BWF also said it hoped for a "collaborative effort with the
players and apparel sponsors", meaning that they want more
appealing sportswear on offer, and more players wearing it.
Jan Lin, BWF media and communications officer, said the drive to
look good was intended to win more TV air-time.
"To get more badminton on TV there are as much expectations on
the presentation and charisma of the sport," she said.
"The onus is on the BWF to get players ready and used to the
camera and being in the public eye... TV and sponsors are drawn to
stars and icons, looking good on court is one way to be
noticed."
Badminton is hugely popular in large parts Asia but often
struggles to compete with sports such as football or tennis. More
prize-money, stars and TV coverage are all part of the plan to
reach a wider audience.
However, the skirts initiative met with a hostile response in
some quarters. In Malaysia, the opposition Pan-Malaysia Islamic
Party (PAS) called for a boycott of badminton tournaments.
Amongst women players in Wuhan, there was a mixture of shorts
and skirts -- and shorts under skirts -- on court.
"It should be about what we do, not what we wear," said
Denmark's Karina Jorgensen.
Another player, who asked not to be named, said: "I just wear
them because I felt like it -- and my boyfriend asked me to."
Last week, the BWF unveiled new, cycling-style shirts for their
umpires and technical officials, in another move aimed at
smartening up the sport.
Badminton's skirts controversy echoes a similar debate in
women's boxing, which will make its debut as a full Olympic event
in London.