Badminton bosses eye dramatic change to traditional scoring system to make games quicker
World Badminton Federation considering cultural shift to sport, cutting points needed to win a game and putting focus on attack
A proposal by the World Badminton Federation could see the nature of the sport shift dramatically, with each best-of-three game to be won by 15 points rather than the current 21.
The potential change, according to some officials, is aimed at making matches faster while alleviating some physical burden on the players.
But there are concerns over the possible transformation of the sport, however, with some believing it will tip the balance in favour of those players who attack from the start.
Thomas Lund, the BWF secretary general, dismissed that and said it was about creating an environment to let the game’s top stars have longer careers.
“The 15-point system was designed to align with modern competition trends, aiming to enhance the excitement of the game, increase the importance of each point, and ensure that the match enters a crucial confrontation from the very beginning,” he said.
Women’s world No 1 An Se-young, who won the World Tour Finals last month, said she believed the change could be for the better.