Danish badminton players locked out of training facilities

World
Europe

Denmark's Badminton Union (DBF) has announced that before the institution reaches a deal with the country's badminton players, none of the players will be allowed to use the national team training center for regular training.

Besides denying access to training facilities, DBF said it will not pay for transport or accommodation for players who attend events they register for as individuals. No coach will accompany players as well.

In 2013, DBF and players reached an agreement over various issues including sponsorship and subsidies and that deal will expire after Friday. Though the two sides have been negotiating on the terms of a new deal, they were unable to reach satisfying results.

Denmark's top badminton player Viktor Axelsen has complained about the small number of subsidies provided by Denmark's Badminton Union (DBF). /VCG Photo

Denmark's top badminton player Viktor Axelsen has written about his discontent with some of DBF's policies. For example, he said that the institution provided some 4,500 U.S. dollars every year in living allowance, a sum that was far from enough to support him.

Danish badminton players had originally planned to start training next week. Hans-Kristian Vittinghus said they were disappointed with the current deadlock but still wanted to seek solutions on the negotiating table instead of through media. He did not disclose many details about the discussions.

Denmark's Hans-Kristian Vittinghus says players are disappointed with the current situation but still willing to find a solution via negotiations. /VCG Photo

According to the rules of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), badminton associations of countries and regions have the final say on whether their player can attend events related to world rankings. No player is allowed to register for BWF events as individual unless the badminton association of their country or region grants permission.

DBF will lose if the stalemate continues. It's never an easy task to build up a good badminton team since it takes generations of efforts, talents and even luck to realize the goal. If today's Danish badminton team put an end to or even see their careers interrupted by the drama, the country's badminton development may have to wait for decades to see hope for another good team.