Off-court battle overshadowing world champs

By Dave Thompson

More famous for bullfighting than badminton, Seville looks set to witness a couple of remarkable tussles involving the shuttlecock fraternity - and neither of them is on the playing courts.

The Sudirman Cup world mixed team event starts on Monday with 55 nations involved, followed by the individual championships from June 4.

Away from the stadium, all eyes are on an unprecedented contest for the presidency of the International Badminton Federation (IBF), with official nominee Sultan of Brunei facing a spirited challenge in voting at the AGM on June 3.

Meanwhile, in nearby Gibraltar (population 29,000) sports officials are embroiled in another problem as the thorny issue of the Spanish claim to sovereignty of the colony resurfaced.

But first the election - unique in the 67-year-history of the federation.

In one corner, the Sultan of Brunei, long on cash and prestige and a keen player and fan but very short on IBF experience, having never held a post of any sort within the organisation.

In the other, Indonesia's Justian Suhandinata, very experienced, an IBF vice-president since 1993, a member of the federation for 16 years and a player for 43 years - but hardly a household name.

The 54-year-old Sultan, father of 10 and oil-rich to the tune of an estimated $16 billion, has private badminton courts at his palace, plays daily and even requests facilities to be provided when on state visits abroad.

For the last three years Brunei has hosted badminton's world grand prix finals, albeit embarrassingly postponed for a time this year because of logistic problems.

IBF officials must by the nature of things be neutral but chief executive Neil Cameron confirms a 17-7 vote among the executive council in favour of the sultan's nomination for the presidency.

"It's my understanding that it is felt the game's image needs to be radically changed and a high-profile president would help in this respect," said Cameron.

"He should also be able to use his management and leadership skills to build a strategic plan, focusing our efforts on some key priorities and a new 'face' would be an opportunity to radically overhaul some of our internal management processes."

TOUGH TIME

Badminton has been through a tough time recently with several tournaments struggling to secure the necessary sponsorship.

Cameron said: "In the modern, highly competitive entertainment world we urgently need to improve the game's image amongst sports fans and key people."

Suhandinata, 54, told Reuters "I have spent 16 years in the body and I know all the nooks and crannies of it. I think I am able to do it and I have people believing in me."

He added: "I believe there are still a lot of members who will pick one with 40 years of experience in the badminton world over promises and plans."

The Indonesian, a moving force behind the creation of the Sudirman Cup, said: "I don't really care how they (Brunei) run their campaign. This is like a game of badminton, you just have to be ready to win and to lose. And I'm ready for both."

Because it is the first election of its kind IBF officials are still working on voting detail, a process complicated by the presence of a third candidate in the shape of Korn Dabbaransi, 55, a former deputy prime minister of Thailand, and president of the Asian Badminton Confederation since 1999.

Another heavyweight, he is widely expected to withdraw although the IBF say they have received no official notification.

Charoen Wattanasin, secretary-general of the Badminton Association of Thailand and an IBF vice-president said: "The story (that Korn is against the Sultan) is nonsense."

The two men are long-time friends and the sultan had the backing of Charoen at the IBF executive council vote which resulted in his nomination.

INTERIM RULING

As for Gibraltar, an interim ruling on Friday from the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland went against the Gibraltar Badminton Association (GBA).

They had argued the IBF had broken its own rules in a compromise deal with the Spanish authorities allowing the seven-strong squad to play in Seville but only as an IBF team and under the IBF flag.

The relevant IBF statute says players cannot be denied entry to a tournament on political grounds, but the Court of Arbitration refused on Friday to grant an interim order in favour of Gibraltar.

Gibraltar will be there but the fight goes on.

GBA secretary Ivan de Haro said: "The GBA team will still take part in the world championship but will do so entirely without prejudice and reserving all rights.

"Our case has still to go to a full arbitration hearing. We will not allow the Spanish authorities to use our players as political pawns."

As for the championships themselves, China look set to win the Sudirman Cup for the third time in succession, Denmark's Peter Gade may put his Olympic misery behind him in the men's singles the following week and his fiancee Camilla Martin could retain her world crown despite the usual formidable challenge from an array of Chinese.