Badminton skirt rule causes a stir
Quebec's badminton federation is denouncing a decision by the sport's world governing body that requires female players to wear skirts during international competition.
The Badminton World Federation hopes to raise the profile of the sport with the mandatory skirt rule, although players will be allowed to wear shorts underneath their skirts.
"If the sport wants to grow, we need to re-think the way things have to be done, but using women ... is not the proper way," said George Struthers from Badminton Quebec.
Many women who play the sport competitively are also unimpressed with the change in rules.
"I do think it's sexist," said Denyse Julien, a retired player who has won more badminton medals at the national and international level than any other Canadian woman.
"I do think you don't really have the right to enforce this rule in 2011-2012," Julien added.
She said the skirt rule doesn't make sense since the vast majority of women already wear skirts on tour.
Julien believes that clothing rules need to be relaxed instead of stiffened, as they were at her club, where a rule for only white attire was amended to allow colour clothing.
Badminton Canada said it is drafting its response to the new dress code, but it doesn't intend to implement a similar rule at the provincial or national level.
The new dress code has already caused controversy across the badminton world.
Pakistan's badminton body has said it will challenge the rule, calling it "discriminatory," while several female shuttlers in India have joined the chorus saying the rule strips players of their freedom.
The Badminton World Federation had initially intended for the rule to come into effect on May 1, but officials pushed back the date by a month in order to tweak the guidelines and listen to feedback from players.
Badminton federations from around the world will be able to voice their concerns at the international body's annual meeting in China on May 28.
