Vimal Kumar's Plea: Preserve Badminton's True Spirit

Former India chief coach Vimal Kumar strongly advocates for retaining the current 21-point scoring format in badminton. He argues that the proposed change undermines the sport's essence. Highlighting Ayush Shetty's success, Kumar emphasizes the value of collaborative coaching and praises the young player's promising future.

Former India chief badminton coach Vimal Kumar has called on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to maintain the current 21-point, best-of-three scoring format, arguing that it preserves the sport's true essence. His appeal comes ahead of a scheduled vote on a proposed change to a 3x15 format at the BWF Annual General Meeting in Denmark.

Highlighting badminton's global popularity, Kumar criticized the proposed alterations for commercial reasons, warning against diluting the game's intensity. He pointed out how other major sports like golf and basketball maintain their formats despite long durations, questioning the necessity of shorter matches.

On another front, Kumar lauded young Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty's ascent in the game, attributing his success to a collaborative coaching approach at the academy. Shetty, who reached the finals of the Badminton Asia Championships, showcases promise akin to greats like Viktor Axelsen, noted Kumar.

(With inputs from agencies.)