[OSEN=이인환 기자]
On the 30th (Korean time), the Chinese portal ‘NetEase’ directly criticized the recently controversial discussion of reforming the 3-set 15-point system of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), pointing out in detail the real problems facing badminton.
This is Ahn Se-young, who had a year that will be remembered in history. Starting with the Malaysia Open this year, he won 10 crowns by winning the India Open, Orleans Masters, All England Open, Indonesia Open, Japan Open, China Masters, Denmark Open, French Open, and Australian Open. This was an achievement that surpassed the record of most wins (9 wins) in a single season in women’s singles, which she set in 2023.
It didn’t end here. Ahn Se-young defeated Wang Ziyi (China) with a game score of 2-1 (21-13 18-21 21-10) in the women’s singles final of the 2025 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals held in Hangzhou, China on the 21st and rose to the top. It was a bloody battle that took a total of 1 hour and 36 minutes. Ahn Se-young also suffered from cramps in her left thigh just before the match point, but showed her fighting spirit and won the game, achieving her 11th win of the season.
As a result, Ahn Se-young rose to the top in the last competition in 2025, catching up with the record for most wins (11 wins) set by legendary Japanese men’s singles player Kento Momota in 2019. He was eliminated in the semifinals at last year’s World Tour Finals after losing to Wang Zhiyi, but this time he avenged that loss in the finals and regained the throne for the first time in four years.
Ahn Se-young’s 11th win of the season is not the only record. He won the prize money of $240,000 (about 344 million won) by winning the singles title at the World Tour Finals. Thanks to this, he opened a new horizon in the badminton world by surpassing $1 million (about 1.445 billion won) in prize money in a single season for the first time in history. The gap with second place Wang Ziyi (China), who earned prize money of $625,465 (about 900 million won), is also enormous.
However, immediately after Ahn Se-young’s match, the controversy over reforming badminton’s 15-point system became more intense. The starting point of the controversy was the women’s singles final of the 2025 BWF World Tour Finals held at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center in China. It was a match in which Ahn Se-young defeated Wang Ziyi 2-1 (21-13, 18-21, 21-10) to win the championship.
It was a spectacular match that lasted 96 minutes, but the ‘sleeping scene’ of the audience captured on the local broadcast screen increased controversy. Some criticized that “the game was too long,” and this was directly connected to the justification for the 15-point system reform that BWF is pursuing.
But NetEase’s perspective was different. The media said, “The average tennis Grand Slam final is over 3 hours, but no one complains about it being long,” and asked, “Why should badminton’s 96 minutes be pointed out as a problem?” He then pointed out, “The problem is not the game time, but the monotonous viewing structure that spectators have no choice but to endure.”
NetEase cited structural fatigue in the current badminton competition as a key cause. The ticket system that sells multiple games in one day, the tight schedule with little rest between games, and the management method that leaves both players and spectators with no time to catch their breath are eroding the viewing experience. The expression, “The audience is pushed to the next game without even having time to savor the climax,” seemed to have literally translated the scene.
In particular, criticism of the 15-point system was harsh. NetEase criticized the game, saying, “Under strong pressure, several competitions have already tested the 15-point system, but many games ended in 10 minutes,” adding, “Only confusing and poor games remain without a dramatic twist or narrative.” It is argued that the shortened game actually took away the fun.
Comparing it to tennis, the media explained, “The real reason why tennis is not boring is the set system,” adding, “Once a set is over, both the audience and the players can psychologically take a breather.”
On the other hand, he pointed out that badminton remains in the structure of “you just come in, sit down, look at the court, and then it’s over.” The explanation is that if the rally becomes long or the flow stagnates, the spectators’ attention cannot move to other things to enjoy, which directly leads to fatigue and drowsiness.
NetEase likened this to “locking someone in an empty room and having them look at an hourglass for 96 minutes.”
From a tactical perspective, the 15-point system also creates problems. The media claimed, “15 points and 21 points are completely different sports,” and added, “Lin Dan usually started to really compete after 15-15, but if the scoring system had been changed, even the legendary player would have lost to a second-rate player.”
The analysis is that the 15-point system is advantageous for offensive players, but players who use precise ball control and patience as weapons will lose their place. He also added a warning that the type of possession-based play like Kota Naraoka will disappear.
NetEase also presented an alternative. “In addition to reducing the score, we can also consider a compromise of increasing the break time and adjusting only the last game to 15 points,” he said. “We also need to improve the space outside the stadium to enrich the spectator experience.” This is also in line with the remarks made by Paul-Eric Høyer Larsen, President of the World Badminton Federation, about ‘improving space outside the stadium.’
NetEase declared, “The idea that reducing the time will increase viewers may be an illusion,” and added, “Sacrificing the essence of sports to pander to a fragmented era is a real disaster.” The message was that if badminton wants to rid itself of its stigma of being a ‘boring sport’, the experience, not the score, must be changed.
/mcadoo@osen.co.kr
