KUALA LUMPUR — National badminton coaching director Rexy Mainaky has raised concerns over the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) inconsistent policies regarding on-court medical assistance, following an incident at the China Open last Sunday.
In the men’s doubles final between China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu, and Malaysia’s Nur Izzudin Rumsani and Goh Sze Fei, Xiang Yu complained of back pain after the first game. Although he received treatment, his discomfort continued, prompting the umpire to allow a chiropractor onto the court to assist him.
Rexy contrasted this with the tragic incident at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in July, where Zhang Zhijie collapsed during a match against Japan’s Kazuma Kawano. Despite the urgent situation, the umpire delayed calling for medical help, resulting in Zhang’s death.
The Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) had clarified that BWF rules require medical teams to wait for the umpire’s call before entering the court.
Rexy expressed frustration with what he sees as inconsistent application of the rules across tournaments.
“It seems unfair in China. Would the same allowance have been made at the Hong Kong or Korea Opens? This raises questions.
“Perhaps it’s a positive step for the BWF to allow such practices in future tournaments,” he said.
He also mentioned his discussion with independent doubles coach Rosman Razak, who was similarly frustrated by the umpire’s handling of the situation.
“If I were in that situation, I would have complained immediately instead of waiting until the match ended.
“It’s unjust that the Chinese medical team was allowed on the court like that, but perhaps they learned from the previous incident involving their junior player. If they hadn’t acted, Xiang Yu’s condition could have worsened.
“However, if we look at the previous regulations, it indeed seems unfair,” he added.
Rexy called for BWF to standardise regulations to avoid confusion in future tournaments. He suggested that national associations could formally request the BWF to allow immediate medical intervention during matches.
In the end, Izzuddin and Sze Fei staged a remarkable comeback, defeating Ji Ting and Xiang Yu 13-21, 21-12, 21-17, thus making history by being the first Malaysian doubles to win the Super 1000 China Open in the BWF World Tour era. — September 24, 2024