adminNEW DELHI. — Badminton takes a leap into the unknown today, when a new franchise-based team event with innovative rules aimed at drawing bigger crowds opens in India. The million-dollar Indian Badminton League, trumpeted as the sport’s richest event, will be played over a fortnight between six city teams, using a more attacking style of play designed to excite the fans.
But the event has suffered several blows even before the first shuttle has been hit, with Malaysian superstar Lee Chong Wei, the league’s top draw and the world number one, under an injury cloud. The standard two-point gap to win a game has been abandoned in favour of a race to 21 points for the first two games and 11 points for the decider, if needed. There will also be a minute’s commercial break after the seventh and 14th points in the first two games and after the sixth point in the decider.
“The IBL is definitely the best thing to happen to Indian badminton,” Indian great Prakash Padukone said.
“Badminton has not seen this kind of money before,” the former All-England champion said. “It will add to the popularity of the sport, besides bringing in more money for the players. A lot would, however, depend on the success of the inaugural event.” The success of popular franchised-based Twenty20 cricket competitions has inspired copy-cat events in hockey, golf, football and tennis. — AFP.
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