ＩＢＦは中国広州で、過去一年半施行されてきた７点５ゲーム制を正式に採用するかどうかの採決が行いました。
この制度は、すべての競技において、7点の5ゲームマッチを行い、ゲーム間のインターバルにテレビＣＭなどを入れ、メディアにもっとアピールしていこうと いうものでしたが、採決の結果、１２-８の票差で、今年の8月から旧得点システムを一部継続することに決まりました。
現在トップを走る中国、韓国側の旧体制維持派と何とかトップの座に返り咲きたいヨーロッパ勢の改革派の対立となりました。
＜得点形式＞
男子ダブルス 15点3ゲーム
女子ダブルス 11点3ゲーム ←変更
男子シングルス 15点3ゲーム
女子シングルス 11点3ゲーム
ミックスダブルス 11点3ゲーム ←変更
このことにより、コーンダバランシＩＢＦ会長は「理事会の過半数が、旧システムの存続を望んだのは明らかだ、バドミントンの人気拡大とテレビ視聴者にアピールするために、ＩＢＦは他の手段を考えなければならない。」と述べたそうです。
バドミントンメジャー化についていろいろと論議されていますが、今後はまた新たな発想で考え直さなければならないようです。それにしても、女性が絡む種目 は11点というのはあまり意図的なものが感じられず、苦肉の策といった感じがして、あまり納得がいきませんね。
以下にIBFの全文を載せておきます。
IBF decide to revert to old scoring system from August
THE International Badminton Federation (IBF) have decided to partly revert to the old scoring system from August this year.
At their council meeting in Guangzhou yesterday, the IBF voted to scrap the seven-point, best-of-five system which had been used for the past one and half years.
The 15-point, best-of-three system will apply to the men’s singles and doubles’ matches while the women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles will use the 11-point, best-of-three scoring format.
The decision represented a slight change from the original format that used the 15-point system for the women’s doubles and mixed doubles matches.
IBF president Korn Dabbaransi said the council voted 12-8 for the new scoring format, which was among five recommendations tabled at the meeting.
The other proposal that received eight votes was the system preferred by the European nations ? nine-point, best-of-five for the men’s singles, doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles cum seven-point, best-of-five for the women’s singles.
“This is a majority decision which will come into effect from Aug 1 this year. We have to make a final decision this year regarding the experiment of the seven-point system this year because we can only make changes to the rules every fourth year.
“It is apparent that the majority of the council members preferred the old system,” said Dabbaransi after the meeting.
Dabbaransi said the IBF would take other steps to improve the popularity of the game and make it more appealing to television viewers.
Meanwhile, IBF executive director Neil Cameron said the entry for the Thomas-Uber Cups, Sudirman Cup and World Championships would be limited but every continent would be represented in future editions.
He said the 2005 World Championships, and possibly the 2003 edition in England, subject to the success of negotiations, would allow a maximum entry of 64 players, based on their latest world rankings.
The three world meets ? mixed team (Sudirman Cup), men’s (Thomas Cup) and women’s (Uber Cup) would be limited to 12 teams, with at least one team from each of the five continents.
Teams would have to qualify through their own continental tournaments.
The ruling would take effect from 2005 for the Sudirman Cup and from 2004 for the Thomas and Uber Cups.
Currently, the Thomas and Uber Cups tournaments have eight teams each but the field is open for the Sudirman Cup.
The move to ensure participation from the continents was mooted in the hope of developing the sport among the weaker countries. Asia and Europe dominated the world badminton scene.
There would be other changes to the formats for the three competitions but would be finalised later.
Meanwhile, Canada has been chosen as the hosts for the 2004 World Junior Championships but the IBF did not make a decision on whether Indonesia, Japan or China will host the 2004 Thomas-Uber Cups.
