BWF toying with scoring format change again

PETALING JAYA: It has been barely two years since the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) proposal to replace the existing badminton scoring format of 21x3 to 11x5 was shot down – but talk of the change has re-emerged.

BWF president Poul-Erik Hoyer has not given up just yet on the idea that he was hoping to implement since taking over at the helm of the world body since 2013.

Hoyer had revealed in a recent interview with TV2 Danmark, a Danish state-owned television station, that he still has a deep desire to change the current point system that is deemed too long and less exciting for spectators.

The change, said the 1996 Atlanta Olympics men’s singles gold medallist, is one of several measures to ensure that badminton can keep up with the international sports scene.

“There’s one thing that’s for sure, I would like to change the scoring system, ” he told TV2 Danmark.

“I think we have become too conservative. We are stagnant.”

The current 21x3 scoring format has been in use since it was introduced in 2006 to replace the original 15x3 system.

The BWF had been toying with the idea and experimented with it in the lower-tier tournaments in 2014, but it wasn’t until an annual meeting in Bangkok in 2018 that the proposal was put up for voting by member associations.

The proposal had the majority of votes then but did not get the two-third majority, or 168 votes, that was needed to make the change.

A total of 129 voted for the scoring format but 123, mostly Asian countries, opposed the change.

Hoyer believes it would still be a tall order even if he hopes to bring up the idea for discussion again at the future AGMs.

“I need to find a two-third majority to get it through. I actually have the backing, but I don’t think it’s at two-thirds, ” said Hoyer.

“As long as I’m the only one running this, I’m afraid it’s not enough.”

A number of top players are against the new scoring format.

Hoyer’s fellow Dane, Viktor Axelsen said in 2018: “The 11x5 would also have taken away the physical part of the game – as one does not have to be physically strong to win a match.

“It would have been soft and boring. I enjoy and thrive on the physical part of the game.”

In 2014, two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China too said he didn’t see any point in altering the scoring system.

“I don’t like it, ” he said. “I don’t think making changes like this is good for the game. There is nothing wrong with the present system.”