25 May 2012 / Auf Deutsch / VI. internationalen schwul-lesbischen Badmintonturnier von Vorspiel Badminton / Berlin International Badminton Tournament

INFO HERE. (English below)

Willkommen zum VI. internationalen schwul-lesbischen Badmintonturnier von Vorspiel Badminton vom 25.–29. Mai 2012 in Berlin! Hier der vorläufige Turnierablauf; weitere Details werden noch folgen. Wie bei den vergangenen Malen wird es wieder drei Spieltage geben. Bei Anmeldung für zwei Disziplinen habt Ihr einen freien Berlin-Tag für Sightseeing und andere Aktivitäten, der Abschiedsbrunch findet am Dienstag statt.

Programm

Freitag, 25.05.12, 18-24 Uhr:
- Registrierung
Adresse: Axel Hotel, Lietzenburger Straße, 13/15, 10789 Berlin

Samstag, 26.05.12, 9-18 Uhr:
- Turnier-Tag 1
Adresse: Max-Schmeling-Halle, Am Falkplatz,10437 Berlin
Alle Mixed Doppel
Herren Einzel A und B+

Pfingstsonntag, 27.05.12, 9-20 Uhr:
- Turnier-Tag 2
Adresse: Max-Schmeling-Halle, Am Falkplatz,10437 Berlin
Alle Damen Doppel
Herren Einzel B-, C+ und C-
- Frauenabend

Pfingstmontag, 28.05.2012, 9-20 Uhr:
- Turnier-Tag 3
Adresse: Max-Schmeling-Halle, Am Falkplatz,10437 Berlin
Damen Einzel B-, C+ und C-
Alle Herren Doppel
- Abschlussparty ab 22 Uhr

Dienstag, 29.05.12, 10:30-15 Uhr:
- Abschiedsbrunch

Der detaillierte Turnierplan wird im Programmheft bekannt gegeben.

Details

Disziplinen: Einzel / Doppel / Mixed
Jede Teilnehmerin und jeder Teilnehmer kann an zwei Disziplinen teilnehmen.

Spielklassen: A / B+ / B- / C+ / C-
Die Spielklassen können je nach Zahl der jeweiligen Anmeldungen in den Disziplinen zusammengelegt werden.

Teilnahmegebühren: Im Preis enthalten sind natürlich der Brunch, die Party, Lunchpaket an den Wettkampftagen, Feder- bzw. Plastikbälle, Turnier-T-shirt und einiges mehr!

Bei Bezahlung ab 01.03.12:
Spielerinnen/Spieler: 65 €
Begleitung: 50 €

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Welcome to the VI. International Gay & Lesbian Badminton Tournament by Vorspiel Badminton, May 25–29, 2012 in Berlin! Below is the preliminary programme, more details will follow. Please note that competitions will be held on 3 days. If you register for the maximum of 2 events, you will have one free day to discover Berlin. The farewell brunch is on Tuesday.

Programme

Friday, May 25 18:00h-24:00h:
- Registration
Address: Axel Hotel, Lietzenburger Straße, 13/15, 10789 Berlin

Saturday, May 26 9:00h-18:00h:
- Tournament day 1
Address: Max-Schmeling-Halle, Am Falkplatz,10437 Berlin
All mixed doubles
Men singles A and B+
- Grand Prix viewing 19:00h open end

Sunday, May 27 9:00h-20:00h:
- Tournament day 2
Address: Max-Schmeling-Halle, Am Falkplatz,10437 Berlin
All women doubles
Men singles B-, C+ and C-
- Women's Night

Monday, May 28 9:00h-20:00h:
- Tournament day 3
Address: Max-Schmeling-Halle, Am Falkplatz,10437 Berlin
Women singles B-, C+ and C-
All men doubles
- Player's Party 22:00h open end

Tuesday, May 29 10:30h-15:00h:
Farewell Brunch

Subject to change. The detailed competitions schedule will be published in the tournament brochure, available at registration.

Details

Events: Singles / Doubles / Mixed
Each participant may register for one or a combination of two competitions.

Competiton Levels: A / B+ / B- / C+ / C-
Some levels might be pooled, depending on the number of registrations for each event.

Registration Fees: Price includes party & brunch tickets, packed lunch on competition days, shuttlecocks, tournament T-shirt and more!

Payment after February 29, 2012:
Players: 65 € · Company: 50 €

25 May 2012 / Vorspiel Badminton Tournament in Berlin

Welcome to Berlin 2012!

Welcome to the VI. International Gay & Lesbian Badminton Tournament by Vorspiel Badminton, May 25–29, 2012 in Berlin! Below is the preliminary programme, more details will follow. Please note that competitions will be held on 3 days. If you register for the maximum of 2 events, you will have one free day to discover Berlin. The farewell brunch is on Tuesday.

Programme

• Friday, May 25: Registration
• Saturday, May 26: Competitions
• Sunday, May 27: Competitions & Women's Night
• Monday, May 28: Competitions & Player's Party
• Tuesday, May 29: Farewell Brunch

Subject to change. The detailed competitions schedule will be published in the tournament brochure, available at registration.
Details

Events: Singles / Doubles / Mixed
Each participant may register for one or a combination of two competitions.

Competiton Levels: A / B+ / B- / C+ / C-
Some levels might be pooled, depending on the number of registrations for each event.

Registration Fees: Price includes party & brunch tickets, packed lunch on competition days, shuttlecocks, tournament T-shirt and more!

• Payment until February 29, 2012: Players: 60 € · Company: 45 €
• Payment after February 29, 2012: Players: 65 € · Company: 50 €

All info HERE.

More on the efforts of (male) sports leaders to tell (female) athletes that (female) athletes aren't real women

The Los Angeles Times looks at the efforts in boxing (and badminton) to impose a sexist image of what women athletes should look like. We recall the real Olympic tradition of athletes competing nude...

The first competitors won't step into the ring in London for seven months but already a controversy has broken out over women's participation in the Olympic boxing tournament.

Only this time it has nothing to do with a woman's right to fight.

The battle now has shifted to what the women should wear, with some members of the International Amateur Boxing Assn. — the governing body for the sport — urging the boxers to don skirts instead of the baggy shorts they've been wearing.

"This is absurd," complained Patricia Manuel, a former national champion from Long Beach and an Olympic hopeful at 132 pounds. "To put fighters in skirts to label them as women is incredibly outdated. It seems to me sexist."

The Badminton World Federation took a similar stance this month after a marketing firm advised officials that the sport needed to look more feminine to attract fans and sponsors. At its meeting in New Zealand the BWF called for women to ditch the shorts and sweat pants they have traditionally worn and "dress nicely" to "promote the image of badminton," according to Paisan Rangsikitpho, deputy president of the executive board.

"Women should wear women's clothing," Rangsikitpho said in summing up the board's ruling. "BWF wishes all players to be more fashionable and good role models."

Keep reading HERE.

The men who run world badminton give up (for now) on attempt to make women players "sexier"

From Inside the Games, some welcome news (and it's nice that they are contacting the women's group on this issue... maybe they should have done that before trying to sex up their women players?):

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.

Rock and a hard place: women athletes caught between sexist sports bodies and religious oppression

From the Pakistan Tribune, another look at the outcome of a recent rule change from the Badminton World Federation that aims at "raising the profile" (i.e., making players more attractive to men) of women's badminton by making female players wear skirts. 


Once again, the FGG opposes both turning female athletes into sex objects (particularly when these rules are made by organizations totally dominated by straight men*), and the repression of female athletes and the non-respect of the commonality of sports rules on the basis of religious oppression of women (again, largely the work of straight men).

LAHORE: Badminton Asia Confederation Vice-President Syed Naqi Mohsin lashed out at the sport’s governing body for introducing the rule forcing female players to wear skirts.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF), in a bid to raise the profile of women and the sport, has decided to make the skirt-rule compulsory for all female players from June 1. However, the decision met with criticism from Muslim countries and Mohsin said that the rule is discriminatory.

“The BWF states that the new regulation will not discriminate against any religion or beliefs,” said Mohsin. “How can wearing skirts not clash with the religious beliefs of female Muslim ?”

The BWF, however, has defended its decision and said that female players can wear shorts ‘if they wish’ but also ‘wear a skirt over the shorts as is practiced already by some players’.
Mohsin, a Pakistan member in the Asian body, said that players have been wearing trousers for some time and that attire was approved.

“Pakistan players have been playing in international tournaments in trousers,” said Mohsin. “They even participated in the Asian Games in the same attire as they were exempted keeping in view their religion. The Iranians used to play in trousers with a head scarf as well and there was no issue then. We’ve not been sending our female players to big tournaments like the Super Series and the Grand Prix but they did participate in the Uber Cup, where this new dress regulation will apply now.”

He added that though some players might be willing to wear skirts, the rule should not be made compulsory since it clashes with religious beliefs of some players. “I’m sure a lot of players will willingly adapt the new rule. But quite a lot will not be comfortable so it should not be made compulsory.”

*Badminton World Federation's Executive Board is made up of 10 men, and no women, and its Council is made up of 15 members, including only 2 women. 

Badminton tells female players they are ugly in shorts

From The Telegraph, a sad story of another lame attempt to stimulate (straight male) media and (straight male) public interest in a sport by making women wear "sexier" clothing. We can assume that when the BWF says that women need to wear skirts to ensure "attractive presentation" of the sport, they consider that a woman in shorts is... ugly. 

For all those who thought sport was about performance and athletic achievement, you're wrong: it's about sex. 

Rest assured that at the Gay Games, women can wear shorts. 


 
And men can wear skirts.




World badminton pushes back women's skirt rule to improve guidelines
World Badminton has pushed back the implementation of new rules requiring female players to wear skirts on court in major tournaments after protests from some shuttlers.

The Badminton World Federation's new dress code was due to come into effect from May 1, requiring all female players to wear skirts or dresses in Grand Prix tournaments and above "to ensure attractive presentation of badminton". It will now come into force on June 1.

"BWF have for many years encouraged both badminton clothing manufacturers and players to produce and wear clothing that would enhance the presentation of the game in general," BWF Deputy President Paisan Rangsikitpho said.

"We are, however, always willing to listen to the players, which is why we have decided to delay the implementation date to advise and have a dialogue with the players on the guidelines," he added.

The BWF said it would consider feedback from players, but it underlined that the skirt requirement does not "in any way discriminate against any religious or other beliefs and respects women".

The ruling had evoked mixed reactions from players, with most saying the problem was not so much with wearing skirts but making the dress code mandatory.

"You can't force anyone to become more glamourous. Probably, they can ask the sponsors to design better clothing like the tennis girls wear," said India's doubles specialist Jwala Gutta.

A few Chinese and Indonesian players have also expressed reservations, saying they preferred to play in shorts instead of skirts.