There’s already concern that cycling might be ousted from the Olympics after Lance Armstrong’s doping admission airs on Oprah Thursday, but one badminton champ says his sport might also be facing expulsion after the London scandal and recent mid-match retirements have put them under the microscope.
“The situation has worsened since I started playing badminton at the age of 15. The constant retirements of players do not augur well for the game,” Athens gold medalist Taufik Hidayat told Reuters.
“There is talk that badminton may not make it as a sport in the 2020 Olympics. We must bear in mind that other sports are strongly lobbying to be included.”
Those sports include baseball and softball, as well as squash, which most assume won’t win the spot because the Olympics includes too many racquet sports. Getting rid of badminton before 2020 might change that.
“I have just started my own centre,” Hidayat added. “It caters for eight or nine-year-olds. Now, I am not sure whether they will get a chance to play in the Olympics.”
