Saina slams BWF for crammed calendar

NEW DELHI: Former World No 1 Saina Nehwal on Wednesday slammed the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for a “cramped” international calender, which hardly leaves any time for players to recover from injuries.

BWF, the sport’s world governing body, has made it mandatory for top shuttlers to play at least 12 tournaments in a revamped schedule for 2018.

Saina is clearly unhappy with the new rule. “Next year’s schedule by BWF is too crammed, it is not right for the top players. I need more time to get the best out of me. I can’t play back-to-back events. I can just participate but can’t win,”she said on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Premier Badminton League.

“After the PBL we have three tournaments. Before the World Championships, there are three Superseries, so I am not understanding why BWF decided to go for such a schedule. It will be too tiring, too challenging.

“I dont have any answers. It will come down to fitness and my priority will be fitness. I dont believe in tournaments anymore, so no tournament, no titles, just fitness,” added the Indian ace, who would play for Awadhe Warriors for the third season.

BWF has made it compulsory for the worlds top 15 players in the singles events and top 10 pairs in the doubles disciplines to play a minimum of 12 tournaments or face a penalty.

It’s a move that many top players have ridiculed and Saina is singing from the same hymn sheet. “If BWF is trying to make badminton like tennis, then they should have just 4-5 tournaments like Grand Slams with more money and coverage. If I were BWF president that is what I would have done.”

Olympic champion and two-time World Championship gold-medallist Carolina Marin also echoed similar voices. “The schedule next year is going to be crazy. After PBL we will have three tournaments and during the season we will have so many tournaments, it would be tough for all the players,” she said.