It is my biggest appeal: Vimal backs 21-point system

New Delhi: Former India chief coach Vimal Kumar has made a strong appeal to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to retain the current 21-point, best-of-three scoring format, insisting that it represents the true essence of the sport.

The game's global governing body has proposed switching to a 3x15 scoring format from the current 3x21 system, with a membership vote on the change scheduled at the BWF Annual General Meeting in Horsens, Denmark, on April 25.

Following Ayush Shetty's sensational win over top seed and defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semifinals, Vimal spoke to PTI about the scoring system and the evolution of the young Indian shuttler, who is on the cusp of making history at the Badminton Asia Championships.

"This is real badminton and this needs to be preserved. Now BWF is thinking about reducing the scoring format and fiddling with the scores and such things for commercial reasons. That is not real badminton," Vimal told PTI.

"I hope they take note of this and preserve it, at least in big events, because badminton is a tough sport. They need to understand it." Drawing comparisons with other global sports, the 63-year-old lead coach at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru questioned the need for the change.

"See, whether it is golf or motorsports or football, they go on for three hours, five hours, and they have never diluted it. Hockey has never diluted it. Basketball has not diluted it."

Highlighting badminton's global appeal, Vimal added, "Badminton is a sport that is widely watched. It has a big following in China, Indonesia, India and other places. So why do these few people think that it needs to be shortened and they want all the five events to get over in three hours -- men’s, women’s, women’s doubles, everything?”

Vimal, who is also the Director of the Centre for Badminton Excellence, pointed out that frequent changes have already disrupted the sport.

"They've already been fiddling with it for so many years. Badminton is a technical and a physical sport. So it should be... at least this 21 format is working really well and that should be preserved. So that is my biggest appeal." Last month, London Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal had also urged BWF to exercise caution regarding proposed scoring changes, maintaining that the current 21-point system preserves the sport’s essential intensity and endurance.

Collaborative coaching approach key to Aysuh's sucess: Vimal

Elated with his ward Ayush becoming the first Indian men's singles player after Dinesh Khanna (1965) to reach the final of the continental showpiece, Vimal said a collaborative coaching approach has aided the youngster's rise.

"At the academy, he works under Sagar Chopda, our head coach. What we have done is we have also taken Irwansyah's help. He has also been helping him in the last two weeks. I think that combination is really working well for Ayush," he said.

"This is something every coach must realize and understand. I don't want any coach to think that they can handle a player from cradle to grave. That's not the right way of thinking.

"So, in the academy, we are trying these things out. I think Ayush is an example. He's showing the right improvement in that aspect. I would give a lot of credit to both these coaches, Sagar and Irwansyah for Ayush's success. But again it is just a start. I feel he has a long way to go." Asked if Ayush currently has the best attack, Vimal said: "I would say Lin Chun-Li has the best attack but Ayush also has an equally better attack. Because he is also like Viktor Axelsen.

"When I sent him a couple of years back to Dubai to practice, Viktor messaged me saying that he reminds him of his younger days. So Ayush also learned a lot over there in that two weeks.

"Ayush's attack is something very similar to the attack of Viktor because he is also tall."