Singapore's Loh Kean Yew in action during his quarter-final match against Canada's Victor Lai at the World Championships. - AFP
PETALING JAYA: The issue of poor officiating continues to plague the Badminton World Federation (BWF), with Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew the latest to voice his frustration after a controversial umpire call during his World Championships quarter-final match in Paris on Friday (Aug 29).
Kean Yew was up against rising Canadian shuttler Victor Lai when drama unfolded in the second game. During a rally, Victor executed a smash and then fell over into Kean Yew’s side of the court.
The Singaporean, visibly affected by the incident, managed to return the shot but the shuttle went wide.
Much to Kean Yew’s dismay, New Zealand umpire Kelvin Tsui ruled that Victor’s movement did not actually block him from making the shot.
"I dont usually post things like this because BWF umpire's call is absolute and they will not change it whether or not they are right or wrong, with or without replay. But he's (Victor) literally sleeping on my side of the court.
"Winning and losing is part of the game. A loss is a loss, and Victor did play well, so the credit goes to him.
"But this isn't just about winning or losing, its about upholding the principle of sports and fair umpiring," posted Kean Yew in his social media.
According to BWF’s Laws of Badminton, Law 13.4.2 states that it shall be a fault if, during play, a player invades an opponent’s court over the net with the racket or any part of the body, except as permitted.
Kean Yew, the 2021 world champion, went down 20-22, 18-21 in 47 minutes, allowing Victor to carve his name in history as the first Canadian men’s singles shuttler to win a medal at the championships.
