Source: Sipa USA/Sports Press Photo
[Saba Sports News] Documents obtained from the Orange County Register indicate that the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has decided to revoke the certification of the national governing body for badminton in the United States due to repeated “deficiencies” in compliance, athlete safety, finance, governance, and management since 2017. Holly Shick, Chief Compliance Officer of the USOPC, informed Ken Wong, Chairman of the US Badminton Association Board, John Ruger, Interim CEO of the US Badminton Association, and other officials in a letter on Wednesday that a formal complaint had been filed to revoke the association’s certification. This decision came after the US Badminton Association failed to comply with a series of requirements and agreements aimed at ensuring adherence to regulations set by the US Center for SafeSport and management and financial standards of the USOPC. In January of this year, Linda French, CEO of the US Badminton Association, and Ken Wong were suspended by the US Center for SafeSport due to their roles in a case where an employee was advised not to report allegations of sexual abuse against a prominent figure in the sport. The employee did not follow this advice and faced retaliation after reporting.