The Nationals

[Geof]

I attended the championships on the Saturday. The event was run very well,and the badminton was first class.I would estimate two or three hundred people watching? I am still amazed the sport has such a small spectator and publicity following. Have the media given up on the sport? Nothing on the Telly, little in the paper. I spotted a couple of reporters and a video camera.What can be done ?

[johng]

Look out for coverage of the All England on Grandstand this year

[ipocock]

There does remain an ongoing problem with televising badminton. I work in televisiona nd newspapers and it is one of the most expensive sports to broadcast unfortunately.

The problem is the speed of the shuttle. Because it travels so fast you need between four and eight camera's to broadcast it properly and that makes for huge costs.

Badminton also continues to struggle with an image problem.

To the public at large, badminton remains and pat-a-cake game played at 1 mile and hour in local sports centres.

If the governing bodies want to change the general public perception of the sport then they need to pay for regular production of badminton matches.

County Weekends, Grand Slams and Nationals. There are dozens of television stations that will take the footage but they will only do so for free.

Therefore the governing bodies need to work to find a sponsor who will pay for the production first, then give it away to television companies.

That is the very best way to build up the image of the sport.

It won't come from the other direction because dozens of other sports are doing exactly this and the likes of BBC/Sky can already fill their schedules.