Sports
Badminton looks to future | The Express Tribune
France’s Christo Popov (L) and Toma Junior Popov at the European Championships in April. Photo: AFP
HONG KONG:
Synthetic shuttlecocks, shorter games and a new generation of stars are all part of the “evolution” of badminton, a top official told AFP, saying the sport can’t afford to sit still.
Traditionalists hit out after the Badminton World Federation said that from January 2027 it will adjust the scoring system, partly with an eye on the next generation of fans.
Currently, matches are the best of three games, with the winner of each the first to 21 points. That will change to the first to 15.
Also last month, the BWF said it will trial synthetic shuttlecocks at lower-grade tournaments with a view to potentially using them at elite level.
Days later — in an unrelated move — double Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen retired aged 32, leaving a hole at the top of the men’s game.
BWF secretary general Thomas Lund told AFP that badminton was well placed to thrive as it attempts to build on the immense popularity it already enjoys in Asia.
Members overwhelmingly approved 15-point games, but Lund conceded: “Of course there are some who have doubts about what that will mean for the game.
“I would say most of the traditionalists or sceptical voices in our community are — as I see it — the ones who are afraid that the sport will change.
“I would say this is rather seen as a tweak to the sporting aspects to the scoring system and the game… this is very much in line with how we see the game being played today, the DNA, how the game will evolve,” Lund added.
It was also about “the welfare of players in terms of recovery” and making it more appealing to fans and broadcasters, he said.
Ruffled feathers
Part of any sport’s allure is having big stars and badminton lost one in Lund’s fellow Dane Axelsen.
Spain’s 2016 Olympic champion Carolina Marin also left the sport in March at the same age after a long struggle with a knee injury.
Before them, the rivalry between China’s Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia captivated and even transcended the sport until 2018.
Lund dismissed concerns that Axelsen’s retirement and the lack of a rivalry akin to the Lin-Lee storyline hurts badminton.
“I’ve heard this for 40 years,” he said.
“The sport that we sometimes compare ourselves with is tennis, and everybody was afraid of what will happen when (Roger) Federer and (Rafael) Nadal disappeared.
“I’m not sure people think about that now because others come up and play fantastic tennis, and now the same will happen with badminton,” he said, pointing to how France last weekend reached the final of the Thomas Cup men’s team event for the first time, losing to superpower China.
Another recent announcement which raised eyebrows among traditionalists concerns trying out synthetic shuttlecocks, amid concerns about costs and a shortage of duck and goose feathers.
“We believe that should be pushed and pursued,” Lund said, adding it was “coming step-by-step”.
The BWF said in April it will try synthetic shuttlecocks at selected events including junior international tournaments.
Asked if he saw a day when all of badminton uses synthetic shuttlecocks, Lund said: “I do hope at the highest level that we will be able to have a quality (synthetic) shuttle we can then use more and more across the tours and the major championships over the years.”
Lund said that using synthetic shuttlecocks is also to do with making badminton more affordable at grassroots — the BWF says more than 300 million people play globally.
“It’s important that these evolutions and innovations are done,” he said.
It’s official, the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments are expanding to 76 teams moving forward after committee members voted to approve the transition on Thursday.
In what has become a focal point of dissension among college basketball fans over the past year, the increase of teams that will now make up the postseason field passed through multiple layers to its final stage.
“The expanded bracket format will not impact regular season or conference championship schedules,” the NCAA said in its release.
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Some might be wondering why the NCAA is once again expanding the tournament. Look no further than the revenue it will create for schools across the country, which is tied into television contracts and sponsorship dollars that were too lucrative to turn down.
In the new agreement, the NCAA will also open new avenues for sponsorship agreements, which will include beer, wine, spirits and hard seltzer, just to name a few options.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley reacts after a call during the second half of an NCAA tournament semifinal game against Illinois at the Final Four in Indianapolis on April 4, 2026. (Abbie Parr/AP)
Over the past month, NCAA officials met with media partners to hash out what the addition of 12 teams would create in terms of revenue for the postseason tournament, with Turner Sports being afforded additional games to broadcast each year.
In the new format, the First Four will now turn into the opening round, which will feature 24 teams participating in 12 games over a two-day period. Half of these matchups will take place in Dayton, Ohio, while the other games will be decided in a location to be announced.
COACHES PUSH FOR 24-TEAM CFP, AS COLLEGE FOOTBALL HEADS TOWARDS PARTICIPATION TROPHY TERRITORY
How will the additional teams be configured within tournament field?
For these opening round games, there will be a mixture of at-large teams and automatic bid qualifiers. Each 16-seed, and half of the 15-seeded teams, will participate in these games, while the rest will be configured of 11, 12 and the potential for a 13-seeded team.
Those teams that win will move on to play in the actual opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday and Friday.
Yes, I know this is a bit much, which has turned into a highly entertaining conversation across social media and within athletic departments in recent weeks.
UConn’s Dan Hurley warns NCAA tournament expansion could make the regular season ‘meaningless’
Nimari Burnett of the Michigan Wolverines poses with teammates holding the Midwest Regional Championship trophy after defeating the Tennessee Volunteers in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., on March 29, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
It’s hard not to argue that college basketball is not simply just handing out further bids to increase the chances for a university to receive its participation ribbon.
But we are also seeing a substantial increase in expenditures on every college campus, which is another reason why expansion was pivotal for schools.
“The NCAA will be able to award more than $131 million in new revenue distributions to member schools participating in the basketball tournaments over the remaining six years of the NCAA’s broadcast agreements,” the organization announced.
Also, the NCAA will see an increase of $300 million in revenue from the media rights deal over the course of six years.
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South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley speaks during a news conference at the NCAA college basketball tournament Final Four in Phoenix on April 4, 2026. (John Locher/AP)
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“Expanding the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships is the right decision for the student-athletes and programs that will now have access to the greatest events in college sports,” said Board of Directors Chair Tim Sands, president at Virginia Tech.
Now, with the tournament preparing for an increased field, we can look ahead to the next television contract negotiations, where there will undoubtedly be conversations around expanding the number of teams once again.
KARACHI: Star batter Babar Azam is unavailable for Pakistan’s opening Test against Bangladesh due to an injury, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed on Thursday.
According to the cricket board, the 31-year-old suffered an injury to his left knee and thus will not be available for the series opener, scheduled to be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka, from May 8 to 12.
The PCB further shared that the team’s medical panel was currently assessing the batter’s condition, with further updates regarding his fitness will be shared in due course.
“Pakistan batter Babar Azam will not be available for the first Test match against Bangladesh due to an injury in his left knee,” the PCB said in a statement.
“The team’s medical panel is currently assessing his condition. Further updates will be shared in due course,” it added.
Babar’s unavailability for the upcoming fixture serves as a major blow for the touring side, as the right-handed batter has been in splendid form, which saw him finish as the leading run-scorer of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11, accumulating 588 runs in 11 innings at a remarkable average of 73.02 and a strike-rate of 145.90 with the help of two centuries and three fifties.
Following his blistering century in the Qualifier against three-time champions Islamabad United, which led eventual champions Peshawar Zalmi into the final, the star batter shared that he has started to feel like he is getting back to his best.
Pakistan squad
Shan Masood (c), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Sports
Eli Manning hilariously shuts down comeback talk as Giants explore Odell Beckham Jr reunion possibility
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The New York Giants have had an active offseason, but fans still want to see a reunion with Odell Beckham Jr.
A video of Beckham scoring a touchdown from his time with the Giants went viral on social media.
“All these Giants signings have been great and all, but there’s still one final piece missing…,” the user posted.
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NFC coach Eli Manning looks on during the NFL Pro Bowl Skills Competition at the UCF Nicholson Fieldhouse in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 1, 2024. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports)
Eli Manning, who threw the touchdown to Beckham in the clip, had some fun with it.
“Guys, I’m not coming back to play! Stop asking,” Manning posted on X.
Manning retired after the 2019 season, ending a 16-year run with the team. Toward the end of his career, Manning struggled, as the team went 9-26 in his starts over the last three seasons of his career.
Before Manning’s play declined, Beckham was one of his favorite targets. Manning threw more touchdowns to Beckham (44) than to any other player in his career.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. warm up before a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Aug. 12, 2016. (Danielle Parhizkaran/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Beckham was electrifying in New York. In five seasons with the Giants, Beckham played 59 games, catching 390 passes for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns.
He was then stunningly traded to the Cleveland Browns and never recaptured that same form, spending just two and a half seasons with them before they released him.
The Giants recently brought Beckham in for a workout. He played under coach John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. The 33-year-old was productive as a depth receiver, catching 34 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns.
Harbaugh called Beckham one of his favorite people in the world in March.
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Odell Beckham Jr. started his career with the New York Giants. (Danielle Parhizkaran/USA TODAY NETWORK)
“He and I do talk. We do text,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve maintained a really great relationship. He’s one of my very favorite people in the world. It’s not like you don’t talk to guys on things like that. And certainly we have.”
“We’ll just have to see where it all goes, what’s best for him, what’s best for the Giants.”
While the Giants have to see where it goes with Beckham, they know for sure Manning is staying in retirement.
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