The badminton world is preparing to introduce the 15-point system. There seems to be an intention to keep Korean players, including Ahn Se-young, in check. ⓒ AFP = News1 ⓒ News1 Reporter Lee Ho-yoon
(Seoul = News 1) Sports reporter Lim Seong-il = In 2025, the world of badminton was dominated by Korean players.
Ahn Se-young in the women’s singles and Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho in the men’s doubles tied the record for the most wins in a single season with 11 wins in the season. At the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals in December, the season’s ‘King of Kings’, together with Ahn Se-young, Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho, women’s doubles Lee So-hee and Baek Hana won, sweeping three out of five events, raising the status of Korean badminton. raised it
Since the 1990s, Korea has emerged as a badminton powerhouse with the doubles event at the forefront, but such a ‘golden age’ is unprecedented. In particular, Ahn Se-young has been showing off her overwhelming skills starting in 2024, including the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
In this situation, attention is being paid to BWF’s announcement of ‘rule changes’ in the new year. The goal is to change the method where the player who first scores 21 points per game wins to 15 points. Reduce by 6 points.
The purpose is to protect the physical strength of players and increase the excitement of the game by increasing the speed of the game. This is in the same context as table tennis, which in the past could win a game by scoring 21 points first, changed to an 11-point system.
Although this change applies to all players, many interpret it as a move to keep Korea in check. The World Archery Federation constantly changed the rules, created detailed events, and then reintegrated them. The change was largely intended to prevent the unrivaled dominance of Korean archery.
Kim Dong-moon, president of the Korea Badminton Association, said that although the change may have some impact in the beginning, he is confident that our players will eventually overcome it. ⓒ News1 Reporter Hwang Ki-seon
The same interpretation is possible for the changes promoted by BWF. The views of Kim Dong-moon, president of the Korea Badminton Association, were not much different.
In a phone call with News 1, Chairman Kim said, “It has been decided that the existing 21-point system will be changed to a 15-point system. I understand that it has been passed by the BWF board of directors, and the final decision will be made at the general meeting in May next year.”
Chairman Kim explained, “In the latter half of the game, when the players’ concentration increases, many interesting moments emerge. BWF’s idea is that if the game time is shortened, the players will be able to operate actively from the beginning and see good scenes throughout the game.”
Chairman Kim Dong-moon expressed his opinion that the change was to some extent intended to keep our players, including Ahn Se-young, in check.
He said, “I guess they are trying to change the rules because there is no player who can beat Ahn Se-young right now. All of our players, including Ahn Se-young, are high-rankers, so if the method is different from before, we will be at a disadvantage.”
As Korean players such as Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho, ranked first in the men’s doubles rankings, dominate the badminton world, there is a movement to keep Korean players in check. There is a need to respond quickly to change. ⓒ News1 Reporter Kim Young-woon
Since Ahn Se-young struggles with injuries every season, some believe that shorter playing time will help maintain stamina. However, considering Ahn Se-young’s style of being a ‘slow starter’ who starts the engine somewhat late, there is also the disadvantage of increasing the burden from the start.
Chairman Kim Dong-moon said, “There are many cases where Ahn Se-young struggles at the beginning of the game, then regains momentum and goes on to win the third game.” He added, “For Ahn Se-young, who has a good mind, it is not always good to see the game quickly. There is also the task of changing to a more aggressive style to win the game quickly.”
However, Chairman Kim was confident that our players would ultimately be able to overcome it.
Chairman Kim Dong-moon said, “There will be an impact in the early stages of implementation. With any change, it takes time to adapt. All players are equal,” and expressed confidence, “But because our players have good skills, this is a problem that can be easily overcome if they adapt.”
lastuncle@news1.kr
