Source: REUTERS/LA28 Paralympics
[Saba Sports News] Malaysian legend Rashid Sidek recently spoke out against the Badminton World Federation’s proposal to extend the Super 1000 tournament format. While he acknowledged that the intention behind the extension was to give players more rest, he pointed out that an 11-day schedule could increase the pressure on athletes, leading to greater physical exhaustion and a higher risk of injury. Although the group stage format could make matches more exciting and unpredictable, it might also result in top players being unexpectedly eliminated early in the tournament, increasing the uncertainty of match outcomes. Additionally, extending the tournament would raise operational costs, including venue rentals, personnel expenses, and broadcasting resources. Since badminton tournaments often face sponsorship shortages, this could place even greater financial pressure on event organizers. Moreover, the BWF calendar is already very tight, and adjusting the schedule of top-tier events would require coordination with multiple countries’ competitions, which is a significant challenge.