BWF downplays shuttlecock ‘crisis’

Gurugram: Badminton World Federation (BWF) secretary-general Thomas Lund said the ongoing shuttlecock shortage has not yet reached a “crisis level”, but stressed that manufacturers must resolve supply chain issues and accelerate the roll-out of advanced synthetic options for players worldwide.

Prices of imported feather shuttles have more than doubled in the past year due to raw material crunch in China. A recent report in French newspaper L’Equipe attributed the shortage to changing food habits in China, with preference shifting to pork over duck and goose meat and a global rise in badminton’s popularity. “We are aware of the global supply chain challenges and subsequent increases in feathered shuttlecock prices impacting badminton communities around the world,” Lund said.

“And while we are naturally concerned by this barrier, in our dialogue with the large-scale manufacturers and their assessment of the situation, we don’t believe this is at a crisis level yet,” he added. The shortage has already prompted India’s top stakeholders to admit that the sport can no longer depend on goose

and duck feathers. agencies