Kidambi Srikanth, India’s leading male badminton player, believes that the BWF’s hectic schedule is overshadowing the players. Srikanth also attributed the busy schedule to his poor times. Srikanth has competed in two tournaments so far this year and lost both in the first round. In 2018, the BWF enacted a rule that mandates top players to play at least 12 events in a year. It was mandatory to play in the first 10 tournaments.
Srikanth said, “The first top players were required to play in 10 tournaments but now the number has been increased to 12. It is not easy. This is hurting the players. In such a situation, a player should have the freedom to choose the tournament according to his own. Now I am playing in very few events.”
Srikanth said that his current form has been affected due to the busy schedule. Srikanth said, “Apart from 12 tournaments, playing in domestic tournaments requires a different level of fitness. Apart from this, we also have to play in leagues. This is adversely affecting the players, and they are getting hurt. My form has also been affected due to a busy schedule.”
Former World Number-1 Srikanth said that it has become difficult to focus on fitness due to the busy schedule. At the same time, Srikanth said that he would restrain himself to play in select tournaments and try to get the world number-1 position once again. It is to be noted that Srikanth has been not 100% from as he has been suffering from a leg injury since late 2017, and he spent most of 2018 nursing an ankle injury.
World No.12 Srikanth was knocked out of the Indonesia Masters 500 tournament after he went down 21-18 12-21 14-21 in the first round to local favorite Shesar Hiren Rhustavito. Before that, he had also made a first-round exit from the Malaysia Masters. At the Malaysia Masters, the Indian shuttler was shown the door by Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. Chen had defeated Srikanth 21-17, 21-5.
