Source: REUTERS/JAKUB PORZYCKI
[Saba Sports News] This year’s badminton events have seen frequent controversies over medical issues and new regulations. Former world number one Lee Chong Wei hopes that the Badminton World Federation (BWF) can find solutions quickly to eliminate the gray areas in these issues and ensure that players can receive timely and optimal treatment. At the World Tour Finals held in Hangzhou, some players, including Malaysian men’s doubles player Goh Szefei, were unable to receive treatment despite being clearly in pain. At that time, Goh was cramping and unable to continue, but the referee did not allow him to receive treatment because the rules prohibit pausing the match for medical assistance. Ultimately, Goh completed the match while injured. This rule is primarily intended to prevent players from delaying the match, but it disregards the players’ health. In this regard, Lee Chong Wei stated that there is currently not just one or two complaints about the BWF’s medical procedures and match rules; it has led to numerous grievances. Lee believes that some of these issues are indeed real and need to be re-evaluated. He suggested that the BWF could learn from other sports like tennis and football to see how they handle players’ injury issues.