With the rapid growth of badminton in recent years, the BWF has been proactive in ensuring the sport maintains its relevance within the global sporting landscape by optimising the conditions for two very important stakeholder groups – the sport’s top players and their entourage.
In recent months, these efforts have escalated with the forming of the Player Review Panel and Entourage Advisory Meeting to open dialogue on important player and entourage related areas and potentially come up with recommendations on improvements going forward.
The Player Review Panel is designed to provide enhanced support mechanisms for the playing group and develop strategies for improving the athlete experience at badminton events, as well as looking at athletes’ career development opportunities off the court.
This extends to working with the athletes and getting their feedback on various aspects of the sport such as the rights and obligations of the players in context of the IOC Athletes Charter and the international badminton framework.
BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer said the panel would act as an important tool in gauging the sentiments and concerns of the sport’s fundamental stakeholder group, its top players.
“Our players are the core focus of many of the strategies and activities we implement, so it only makes sense then to be able to initiate a working platform to optimise the needs of the athletes,” Høyer said.
“They know the sport better than most and as a result of building a healthy relationship with them, we will be able to contribute to the overall development of badminton for future players.”
The first Players Review Panel will be headed by BWF Council Member and former BWF Athletes’ Commission Chair, Emma Mason. Internal processes will further define how other relevant player stakeholders will be integrated into the panel’s scope of discussion.
In addition, the BWF will also stage an Entourage Advisory Meeting to discuss areas relevant to coaches, team officials, support staff and other key stakeholder groups of athletes.
The important gathering will give valuable insight into the working relationships of these various entourage stakeholders with top players, the existing tournament structures (such as the HSBC BWF World Tour and BWF Major Events) and the sport in general.
Athletes’ Commission Chair Koen Ridder said he believed both initiatives would create increased dialogue and understanding for all involved.
“It’s great that the BWF sees the contributions of the collective player group and their entourage as a priority as I think this will lead to many positive developments for the sport moving forward,” he said.
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