Opinion Cap on China will dilute Olympics
But diluting the Olympic mix, just to take the sting out of the Chinese challenge, ends up downgrading the Olympics itself.
Not that the Chinese will particularly mind the latest change in qualification regulations that badminton’s world body has spellt out for the Rio Games: a maximum of only two players in men’s and women’s singles per National Olympic Committee (NOC) in contention. For, it takes a mere two to win the gold and silver, as they showed in the women’s singles at London when Xuerui Li and Yihan Wang hopped on the top-two steps of the podium.
As such, every conceivable effort has been taken to stop the domineering nation from effecting clean-sweeps of the three medals, and reducing the maximum number of entrants for a single nation from three to two, again seems squarely aimed at restricting the Chinese.
But what these measures have also done is to reduce the competitiveness of the Olympics itself as the premier competition, a career summit for the sport. With the world body keen on expanding the participation at the Games to many more nations, the competition at the quadrennial games is distinctly watered down.
It’s wryly admitted that it’s easier to progress through the Olympics draw than to crack the pro-circuit’s Premier Super Series last-8. Which can’t be necessarily good for the Olympics – supposed to be the pinnacle of sporting glory in any sport.
The argument against allowing sheer rankings (Top 38) on the cut-off date to decide who’ll head to the Olympics is simple: a Table Tennisque sense of monotony (with only one nation dominating) will prevail, and you can’t put it past China to rack up intimidating numbers who’ll crowd the draws. Also, it will limit the number of nations participating.
But the generosity extended through the minimum continental representation (‘let’s include everyone’-spirit) is better suited to the annual World Championships in badminton, rather than forcing it on the Olympics. The Worlds boast of two rank outsiders in Spaniard Pablo Abian and Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon as quartefinalists in recent times, and are fine opportunities for floaters in ranking-charts to cause a few stirs.
But diluting the Olympic mix, just to take the sting out of the Chinese challenge, ends up downgrading the Olympics itself.
Shivani is a senior assistant editor based in Mumbai.
shivani.naik@expressindia.com
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