Badminton bosses anger after funding is axed
BADMINTONscotland bosses have said they are extremely disappointed by UK Sport’s rejection of GB Badminton’s appeal against a 100 per cent funding cut and has called for Government intervention.
The GB Board was equally disappointed by the ruling.
Anne Smillie, BADMINTOscotland chief executive, said: "The decision by UK Sport to refuse badminton’s appeal is a major set-back to the sport and the Government should intervene to overturn it.
"I see no justification for leaving an Olympic medal winning sport with no funding whatsoever, especially when sports that didn’t win medals or reach their targets have retained their funding."
Ms Smillie said there would be serious implications for players’ careers, in particular for Scotland’s Commonwealth Games and European silver medallist Kirsty Gilmour.
"UK Sport’s reasoning that badminton is unlikely to win a medal in Tokyo and that our GB players need to be more consistent against the very best in the world is a poor excuse.
"Badminton won a men’s doubles medal in Rio: a shock result because it wasn’t the medal chance that had been predicted, but less of a shock to those who know the quality of the badminton programme.
"Badminton exceeded its targets, has a strong pathway and has a strategic plan which was approved by UK Sport. Where there is a robust system in place, ‘shock results’ are always possible.
"Without a strong performance programme to provide quality coaching and with no grant to enable them to train and compete full time, British athletes will be at a huge disadvantage.
"Olympic qualification is a long, difficult and expensive process, which only the wealthy few will be able to attempt. Losing the resource to deliver a quality service to the elite end of the sport is only the tip of the iceberg.
"It means there is now a massive barrier to the badminton pathway and the fear is that many young people will be deterred from taking up the sport because reaching the top will be virtually impossible.
"Badminton is one of the most popular sports in the UK. Over three quarters of a million people, of all ages, play it regularly.
"It is probably the most accessible sport with every town and village in the land having a badminton court and it is not expensive.
"It plays a significant role in the health and well-being of the nation but all this will be at risk if young people stop taking up the sport."
Gilmour is a Commonwealth Games and European Championships silver medallist who reached a world ranking of 15 to qualify for the Rio Olympics.
Her goal is to continue her development and mount a serious challenge for a medal in Tokyo.
Badminton is one of seven sports to have lost appeals against UK Sport funding cuts for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic cycle.
Archery, goalball, fencing, table tennis, weightlifting and wheelchair rugby will also all receive no funding.
However, powerlifting was successful in its appeal to UK Sport.
