Indian shuttlers have reason to rejoice as badminton’s new service rule won’t be used in Gold Coast CWG. The organisers decided against executing experimental service rule that has created alot of controversies and also got criticized by Indian shuttlers.
The new service rule, commands that the shuttle should be exactly at 1.15 meters above the ground at the time of service, and it was first tried at the prestigious All England Championships in March. The Indians have raised eyebrows along with several other stars such as Danish star Viktor Axelsen, Lee Chong Wei and two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan of China.
The Commonwealth Games, which start on April 4 with an opening ceremony, will be played under the old rules which mandate that the shuttle be kept above the waist height at the time of service.
“The Commonwealth Games Federation and the Badminton World Federation have agreed that the new service rules will not be used during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games,” said a message communicated to the national associations.
The decision would come as a happening news for Indian shuttlers, who have not liked the new set of change made by BWF. The critics of the rule feel that it tilts the scale in favour of short players while putting taller ones like P V Sindhu and Axelsen at a disadvantage.
Sindhu had criticised the BWF for introducing the rule at a big-ticket event like the All England Championships, considered among the most prestigious events in the badminton calendar. She felt the shuttlers should have been given more time to adapt.
The badminton event at CWG starts on April 5.
(PTI Feed)
