Badminton trials for CW Games after Ramadan

KARACHI: Pakistan Badminton Federation (PBF) plans to hold trials after Ramadan to pick two boys and two girls for featuring in the Commonwealth Games slated to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8.

"There is still enough time at our disposal as the Commonwealth Games are in August. We will hold trials after Ramadan and will pick two male and two female shuttlers for the Commonwealth Games," PBF president and former international player Wajid Ali Chaudhry told 'The News' on Friday.

Asked why he does not select the shuttlers for the Birmingham event on the basis of their rankings Wajid said it cannot be done as there is still a lot of time and trials will be conducted.

Asked if there will be little time for preparation after Ramadan, Wajid said Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) will hold a camp and the Board has not yet told the federation anything about that. "We are in contact with the Board but we have not yet been told anything about our camp," Wajid said.

The PSB has held camps of many disciplines at various places of the country to prepare the top lot for the Commonwealth Games, Islamic Games and Asian Games. But it is not likely that the Board will back the PBF in its preparatory plan.

The Board plans to back only those federations in their training which are capable to win medals in Birmingham. And it seems that PBF will have to send its squad to Birmingham on its own.

But the big issue is that the PBF will not be able to train its lot solidly as so far it has no solid plan. Wajid said that he plans to also hire a foreign coach to prepare the lot for Commonwealth Games.

"The plan is there but you know it's not easy to do so because it is resource-intensive and demand of foreign coaches is also very high," Wajid said.

Meanwhile, international badminton coach Raziuddin Ahmed said that the federation should have held a camp much earlier as it is going to field its players in the most important event.

"It's shocking that the federation has not held a camp of its top players yet. There is no need for trials. The actual method is to hold a camp of its seeded players and pick the top-ranked boys and girls. If you send your unprepared lot to such a major event and it fails to do anything, then it is better not to send them at all," Razi told 'The News'.