May 30 - Badminton's governing body has shelved a controversial new rule that would have forced women players to wear skirts or dresses during competitions.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) had wanted to introduce the new dress code to "glamorise" the sport.
But some women players have attacked the idea, with Scotland's Imogen Bankier calling the plan "sexist".
The BWF now says it will not introduce the new rule, pending a general review.
In a statement, the BWF said: "The Badminton World Federation have accepted a recommendation from the Women In Badminton Committee to further study on the general clothing regulations and thereby not to introduce the regulations as currently drafted regarding the mandatory use of skirts or dresses."
Britain's former world champion Nora Perry, who represents Women In Badminton on the BWF Council, said: "It is still our intention to focus on a better presentation of the game, but we will like to broaden the scope to include both men and women, and the feedback will also include views from various stakeholders such as the clothing manufacturers."
The Athletes Commission which represents the interests of the sport's players had also objected to the proposed new rules, which were scheduled to come into force on Wednesday (June 1).
Women wearing shorts on court after that date could have been fined by the BWF.
The proposed new dress code had attracted particular criticism from Muslim countries.
No comments:
Post a Comment